Shaq to open ‘Big Chicken’ restaurant inside Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena

Basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal opens a new location for his “Big Chicken” restaurant in the Climate Pledge Arena.

Shaq stopped by the Seattle arena on Thursday wearing a brand new Kraken sweater. His Big Chicken restaurant in the arena will have an exclusive octopus sandwich with buffalo sauce, blue cheese, and cream cheese.

The Big Chicken location in the Climate Pledge Arena will be the chain’s first in-arena location. The fast-casual chicken shop created by Shaq has two other locations – one in Las Vegas right on the Las Vegas Strip and one in Glendale, California.

Not only will the Big Chicken restaurant feature Just Walk Out technology, but it will also host offerings like the Kraken – a Seattle-exclusive sandwich made with buffalo sauce, blue cheese, and cream cheese. 🤤

Get ready for great taste, great food, and great fun with every order. pic.twitter.com/gVXSbtwc2b

– Climate Pledge Arena (@ClimateArena) October 7, 2021

In the Climate Pledge Arena, Big Chicken will be one of four food and beverage stores equipped with Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology. The arena website states that this technology will “make the shopping experience in the arena more efficient and shorten waiting times so that guests can get back to the action faster”.

The Climate Pledge Arena – soon to be home to the Seattle Storm and Seattle Kraken – announced its first food partners in May 2021, with a focus on flavors and favorites of the Pacific Northwest.

The coming into the arena food and drink program called “The Climate Collective” was created with the provider Delaware North. A number of local restaurant partners will be helping “remove the perception of arena traditional cuisine,” including Ballard Pizza Co., Din Tai Fung, Metropolitan Grill, Elliott’s Oyster House, Lil Woody’s and Just Poke.

The Seattle Kraken’s first home game will take place on October 23rd. However, the arena’s grand opening will be a Coldplay concert on October 22nd.

First, however, the arena will host the Foo Fighters and Death Cab for Cutie on October 19 for a “private” benefit show – which is not mentioned on the arena website, but there is a Ticketmaster page.