Restaurants With Ties To Shaquille O'Neal

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With his status as a NBA legend and bigger than life personality, many companies have had Shaquille O'Neal t0 be a face for their brand during his many years in the spotlight. The food industry is no exception and sometimes his relationship with a franchise isn't just making ad appearances. Here are seven restaurants that have ties to Shaquille O'Neal.

The Burger King Meal - McDonald's

McDonald’s is not the only restaurant of their type to have a celebrity endorsed meal. Back in 2002, Burger King and Shaquille O'Neal collaboration resulted in the "Shaq Pack." This meal had sourdough bacon cheeseburger, crispy fries and a Coca Cola Classic.

Shaq-a-Roni - Papa John's

Papa John's announced that O' Neal would be a board member and brand ambassador three years ago. O' Neal talked with "The Undefeated" and addressed the negative press Papa John's was receiving in recent years before their business relationship. He said, "all of that stuff was uncalled-for and unacceptable. It can’t happen" and having a "new leadership" is what convinced him to work with them. He is also a part owner of nine Papa John's franchises in Atlanta.

The Shaq-a-roni, which is a large pizza with extra cheese and pepperoni, is the most notable aspect of his deal with them. Papa John's made a press release and said, "the company is donating one dollar from every Shaq-a-Roni sold through October 24 to The Papa John’s Foundation for Building Community and adding new ways to highlight local, community-focused organizations." O' Neal said on release, “The Shaq-a-Roni is inspired by our shared love of delicious pepperoni pizza and our passion for giving back to support our communities."

Five Guys

Shaquille O' Neal at one point owned an astounding 155 Five Guys restaurants. He explained how that was able to happen on CNBC interview, saying he taught from a young age on how to manage his money. O' Neal continued, "when I was making a lot of money playing basketball, I would come home and see my father, and he would say, 'what are you doing with your money?" Later in the interview, he said that sold all the Five Guys restaurants he owned because he didn't want to put all his eggs in one basket. Money doesn't last forever," O'Neal said and "you gotta save it, you gotta invest it, and you gotta be smart."

Taco Bell

The 1995 NBA Finals between the Orlando Magic, O' Neal's team at the time, and the Houston Rockets for their first ad campaign with him. He alongside Rockets star Hakeem Olajuwon amusingly rode on a bike together through Central Park. This was to promote their double decker taco. He did another with Taco Bell after signing with the Los Angeles Lakers where he suffered from the fictional taco neck syndrome.

Shaquille's

The restaurant named after O'Neal opened it's doors in 2019. Shaquilles was located in Los Angeles, a city where he won three out of his four NBA championships and a statue honoring his accomplishments with the Lakers outside of the formally known Staples Center. The restaurant website describes it as "an upscale casual restaurant specializing in Southern cuisine and service with personality. The menu focuses on farm fresh produce and features his signature fried chicken. Shaquille’s curated beverage program includes a wine vault, local draft beers, and hand-crafted cocktails with an emphasis on bourbons and whiskeys." A simple google search shows that the restaurant is permanently closed as it became one of many businesses in America that were a causality to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Big Chicken

On a interview with NRN, Big Chicken CEO Josh Halpern elaborates on O'Neal's role as part and said, "you basically have Shaquille O'Neal with two world class culinary chefs, guys that have a stellar reputation throughout Las Vegas who worked together to create a menu that was rooted in Shaquille O’ Neal's passion." Halpern continued, "people come to Big Chicken because they want to be attached to Shaquille O' Neal, who is one of the most popular celebrities in the world with over 20 million social media follower," but the quality of the food at Big Chicken is why they will come back.

Krispy Kreme

The lone Krispy Kreme O'Neal owns Ponce de Leon Avenue, Atlanta. O'Neal said to 11 Alive, “Krispy Kreme prides itself on spreading joy and supporting local communities, and that’s a cause that I am thrilled to be a part of." He continued, “our goal is to help people find their happy place, and what better way than with a box of delicious Krispy Kreme doughnuts.” The location faced an incredible setback last year as the building burned down and had been ruled an arson. O'Neal plans to rebuild it and have a new beginning.

Sources: Medium,Papa John's, Mashed, CNBC, ESPN, Taco Bell Fandom, Shaquille's, NRN, 11 Alive, CNN