Big Chicken, co-founded by Shaquille O’Neal, is shaking up fast-casual dining with bold flavors and rapid growth—scaling from 46 to a projected 275 locations by 2029. Unlike legacy brands, they launch in new markets without relying on regional build-up. But their digital experience wasn’t keeping pace. Despite having an app and loyalty program, customer engagement was flat, and digital sales made up just 11% of revenue. That changed in September 2024, when Big Chicken overhauled their digital presence with Thanx. Using Thanx’s CMS, they launched targeted, customized campaigns without dev work. In just six months, app revenue jumped 40%, web grew 23%, and digital sales doubled to 25% of total revenue.
Optimized the digital experience
Big Chicken’s initial digital platform lacked engagement and failed to capture first-party sales. With Thanx, the brand reimagined its app and loyalty program, creating a seamless and engaging customer experience.
KEY IMPROVEMENTS
- Revamped sign-up flow to improve onboarding and first-time purchase conversion.
- Basketball-themed loyalty tiers—Starter, All-Star, and Hall of Famer—to gamify engagement and drive frequency.
- Quarterly rewards and mystery perks designed to build habit-driven engagement.
- Unified branding across all digital touchpoints, creating a cohesive, high-quality guest experience.
Redesigned the loyalty program
The enhanced loyalty program allowed Big Chicken to actively market its digital experience, leveraging data-driven communications and targeted rewards to keep customers engaged.
Strategic enhancements—including automated push notifications, app-exclusive offers, and real-time insights—drove substantial increases in guest participation and overall digital revenue.
61 day launch timeline
Big Chicken’s rapid transformation wouldn’t have been possible with Punchh or Paytronix—platforms that require long development cycles and extensive account management.
Thanx provided agility, data-driven insights, and an intuitive platform, allowing Big Chicken to iterate quickly and scale without friction. As the brand expands to 275 locations by 2029, Thanx remains a critical partner in sustaining momentum and digital-first growth.
