Shaquille O'Neal's Big Chicken Coming To Second North Shore Location

BEVERLY, MA — North Shore foodies will soon have a second location to get their "Big Chicken" when local entrepreneur Barry Lattuca opens the Shaquille O'Neal-founded sandwich and ice cream shake shop at the North Beverly Plaza.

Big Chicken, which opened its first North Shore location at the Northshore Mall in July 2024, is planned to open at 19 Dodge Street in late 2025.

• Shaquille O'Neal's Big Chicken To Open At Peabody's Northshore Mall

"Beverly is a vibrant, seaside community with an incredible energy, and Big Chicken's vibrant brand will fit right in," Lattuca said. "This coastal town is the perfect spot for Shaq-sized flavor and fun. Our team is looking forward to welcoming Beverly residents in for a truly BIG experience, full of warm hospitality and even better taste."

The upcoming Big Chicken location marks Lattuca's second opening, alongside experienced entrepreneurs Martin Lachance, Michael Scibelli and James O’Hanlon. Lattuca holds 16 years of experience in managing quick service restaurants, and he and his team own and operate several additional concepts in the Greater Boston area.

"Boston's personal for me — I started my career here calling on Stop & Shop, Shaw's and Market Basket in Beverly and nearby towns," said Josh Halpern, CEO of Big Chicken. "For a market like this, I need a partner I trust, and Barry is the perfect partner. He lives and breathes Shaquille's vision for Big Chicken: big energy, big heart and a warmth that brings communities together.

"We're so excited for this Beverly location and proud to be building it with someone like Barry."

Big Chicken has more than 40 locations open in traditional and non-traditional restaurant settings and more than 350 units in development. The brand fuses O'Neal's home-cooked childhood favorites with today's trending flavors.

The offerings include The Original Big Chicken sandwich, Uncle Jerome's Nashville Hot (Nashville Hot Chicken, lettuce, mayo and pickles) and The Ultimate (mac & cheese, crispy fried onions and roasted garlic BBQ aioli), along with the crispy crinkle cut fries and delicious ice cream milkshakes.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)