In this episode of the Logan Fields Podcast, Josh Halpern, CEO of Big Chicken and Chief Business and Brand Officer at Craveworthy Brands, joins Logan Fields for a wide-ranging conversation on what it actually takes to scale restaurants, protect legacy, and build brands that last. From partnering with Shaquille O’Neal to growing a portfolio that now exceeds $400M in system-wide revenue without venture capital, Josh breaks down the operator mindset behind sustainable growth.

The discussion starts with the origin of Big Chicken, a brand rooted in Shaq’s family history and built as a legacy play rather than a celebrity endorsement. Josh explains why star power might drive first-time traffic, but only disciplined operations, food quality, and guest experience keep people coming back. The stakes are higher when a brand is tied directly to a person’s reputation, and Josh shares what it means to protect that at scale.

Logan and Josh dig deep into why Craveworthy Brands doesn’t operate like traditional private equity, even though it acquires and scales multiple restaurant concepts. Instead of financial engineering, the focus is on hands-on operations, supply chain mastery, and empowering founders who want to grow without losing what made their brands special in the first place. This operator-led approach shows up everywhere, from menu design to labor strategy to how franchises are supported day to day.

A major theme of the episode is the difference between entrepreneurs and franchise operators, and why franchising isn’t for everyone. Josh is candid about why many independent restaurants fail, what founders underestimate about unit economics, and how small decisions, like napkins, sauces, or training systems, can make or break margins at scale. The conversation also explores how technology, data, and AI-driven training are reshaping hospitality without losing the human element that makes great restaurants work.

Throughout the episode, Josh shares stories from his time working with Anheuser-Busch, insights from Bar Rescuealongside John Taffer, and lessons learned from managing complex supply chains where one weak link can collapse an entire operation. The result is a grounded, behind-the-scenes look at the restaurant industry that goes far beyond the food.

Key topics covered in this episode include:

• Building Big Chicken with Shaq as a legacy brand, not a celebrity gimmick

• Scaling to hundreds of millions in revenue without VC or private equity backing

• Why operations, supply chain, and training matter more than hype

• The real economics of franchising and when it does or doesn’t make sense

• How guest experience, data, and AI-driven training intersect in modern hospitality

• Lessons from Bar Rescue, brand turnarounds, and multi-concept growth

This conversation is essential listening for founders, operators, investors, and anyone curious about how brands scale in the real world, where execution beats theory and presence beats spreadsheets alone. Josh’s perspective blends heart, discipline, and clarity, offering insights that apply far beyond restaurants.

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe to the Logan Fields Podcast for more conversations with builders, operators, and leaders shaping the future of business. You can follow Logan Fields on LinkedIn and visit TheAppGuys.com or LoganFields.com for more content. Share this episode with someone building a brand, leave a review on your favorite podcast platform, and let us know who you want to hear on the show next.