(KLFY) -- Acadiana will have a new fast-food option when Big Chicken arrives in Acadiana.

Big Chicken, founded by basketball Hall of Famer and former LSU star Shaquille O’Neal, announced that the brand will expand its presence in Louisiana after opening its first restaurant in Louisiana in Baton Rouge’s rebranded Hollywood Casino.

According to the restaurant's website, "Big Chicken fuses O’Neal’s home-cooked childhood favorites with today’s trending flavors. From crispy chicken sandwiches and tenders to Cheez-It® crusted mac n’ cheese and hand-crafted ice cream shakes, each menu item tells a story all while offering guests an inside look into the life and personality of Shaquille O’Neal."

In addition to the Baton Rouge location, Big Chicken has restaurants in Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Missouri, New York, Nevada, Texas, Tennessee and Washington, as well as on some Carnival Cruise ships.

As reported on the website qsrmagazine.com, an online media outlet devoted to the quick-serve restaurant industry, entrepreneurs Gul and Vick Awan will be bringing Big Chicken to several markets across the state, with Lake Charles being one of the first locations on their list.

“We are super excited to bring BIGGER flavor, BIG food and BIG fun to the people of Louisiana,” said Vick Awan. “When we first learned about Big Chicken, we visited a few locations and fell in love with the flavor profile and the variety of menu items they offer. There are many chicken concepts in Louisiana, but none of them have the quality ingredients that Big Chicken does."

The report said the Awans plan to expand further with additional locations in the Lafayette area, but did not release proposed opening dates for the new restaurants.

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