Craveworthy Brands founder Gregg Majewski is putting Shaquille O’Neal on his team.
O’Neal’s fast-casual brand Big Chicken is joining the Craveworthy Brand franchise portfolio. Under the deal, Craveworthy will become managing partner and investor in Big Chicken.
Terms were not disclosed. But joining in the partnership is professional football player and Super Bowl champion Ndamukong Suh, who is an investor, as well as the investment fund Everstar Asset Management. The investment fund is described as a strategic advisor to Craveworthy and an investor in the partnership with Big Chicken.
Founded by basketball legend O’Neal in 2018, Big Chicken is known for chicken sandwiches and tenders, as well as mac and cheese, shakes and wings.
The concept has been backed by JRS Hospitality and brand-management firm Authentic Brands Group, along with O’Neal, and has more than 40 units, with another 350 in development.
Craveworthy, meanwhile, is a collection of 15 brands that Majewski has brought under one umbrella, primarily through acquisitions. Among them are Bd’s Mongolian Grill, Dirty Dough, Fresh Brothers Pizza, Taim Mediterranean Kitchen and Krafted Burger Bar.
Craveworthy also has a number of chicken brands, including Hot Chicken Takeover, The Budlong Southern Chicken and Wing It On.
In an announcement Monday, Craveworthy said it will be collaborating with O’Neal, JRS and Authentic Brands to manage and provide expertise across key functions, such as operations, training, supply chain management, culinary development and customer service.
“This one-of-a-kind opportunity truly embodies the mission behind why I founded Craveworthy, to build a full-stack platform that aligns with top brands like Big Chicken and infuses broad-reaching support through proven systems and support to thrive in the evolving restaurant industry,” said Majewski in a statement.
Big Chicken’s CEO Josh Halpern will continue overseeing the brand.
Halpern in a statement said he was excited to see this marriage of two “big time talented” organizations.
“Gregg and I have a strong professional relationship and he’s the type of leader we’ll match with well,” he said in a statement. “I feel fantastic about our future.”
UPDATE: This article has been updated to clarify Ndamukong Suh's current status in the NFL, and his investment is separate from Everstar Asset Management.
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