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Shaquille O’Neal visits Big Chicken in Renton

Published 9:10 am Tuesday, June 23, 2026

By Bailey Jo Josie bailey.jo.josie@soundpublishing.com

Big Chicken staff were beyond excited to meet the Big Aristotle, DJ Diesel himself, Shaq. Photo by Bailey Jo Josie/Sound Publishing.
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Big Chicken staff were beyond excited to meet the Big Aristotle, DJ Diesel himself, Shaq. Photo by Bailey Jo Josie/Sound Publishing.

Big Chicken staff were beyond excited to meet the Big Aristotle, DJ Diesel himself, Shaq. Photo by Bailey Jo Josie/Sound Publishing.
Shaquille O’Neal with Mayor Armondo Pavone and his sons Roman and Dominic. Photo by Bailey Jo Josie/Sound Publishing.
Shaquille O'Neal took photos with many people at the Big Chicken in Renton on June 21. Photo by Bailey Jo Josie/Sound Publishing.
Shaquille O’Neal took photos with many people at the Big Chicken in Renton on June 21. Photo by Bailey Jo Josie/Sound Publishing.

With a line that extended around part of the Landing, fans from all walks of life waited for their chance to see NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal.

Over three years after the highly-anticipated opening day of O’Neal’s restaurant Big Chicken in Renton, the man behind the delicious menu items and at the heart of the growing franchise made his first visit to the restaurant on June 21.

O’Neal was in Seattle for a June 20 performance at Pioneer Square under his music alias DJ Diesel and decided to add a stop at Washington state’s first official stand-alone Big Chicken, where he met the restaurant’s staff, local food reviewers and influencers, Renton Mayor Armando Pavone and his family and took selfies with countless fans.

The event, which was promoted on social media the night before, took place on Father’s Day and O’Neal was accompanied by his son Shareef O’Neal, a professional basketball player.

While the big meet-up at Big Chicken was set to begin at 3 p.m., but many fans showed up at the North 10th Street location as early as 6 a.m. The restaurant’s kitchen had shut down during the free meet-and-greet event, but Big Chicken owner David Jones and his team could be seen handing out free chicken tenders to fans as they waited in the massive line.

Big Chicken in Renton is open Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sundays. To learn more about the menu and other locations, visit bigchicken.com.

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