The Shaquille O’Neal-owned chicken concept, Big Chicken, is set to open in Seattle’s new Climate Pledge Arena, the home of the NHL’s Seattle Kraken and the WNBA Seattle Storm. The arena is constructing a special food and beverage program called the Climate Collective to create a new culinary experience for guests. The Shaq-owned brand will open on October 22 when the arena will host a Coldplay concert.
“We are thrilled to welcome Shaquille O’Neal to Climate Pledge Arena,” said Steve Mattson, general manager of Climate Pledge Arena.
“He knows what makes a good arena and how to enhance the fan experience with food and fun. Big Chicken is a great addition to our amazing food program, and I look forward to guests enjoying Shaq’s first Seattle location at Climate Pledge Arena.”
Big Chicken will be the first fast-casual in the country to feature Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology and Amazon One. This technology allows customers to swipe their credit cards at the entry gate of the store and simply walk out with their products. The technology recognizes what items the customer took and charges their cars accordingly.
“We’re continuing to push the envelope with Big Chicken and finding new ways to innovate our offering for fans. The use of Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology and Amazon One is just one way we’re making our product even more accessible,” said Josh Halpern, CEO of Big Chicken.
“The Climate Pledge Arena location is an exciting development for our brand, and we’re privileged to partner with Delaware North to bring our restaurant with its exclusive Kraken sandwich to the city of Seattle.”
The new location will be operated by Delaware North, a world-leading food services company. It manages over 50 locations at various sports and entertainment venues around the world.
“When we first met with the Big Chicken team, we were immediately impressed by their thoroughness and commitment to chef-driven quality,” said Jamie Obletz, president of Delaware North’s sports division. “The culinary team behind the scenes at Big Chicken is above and beyond industry standards, and we’re excited to continue exploring opportunities for growth with this group.”
