Shaq expands Ponce presence with new corporate venture
Atlanta, Georgia – For the past nine years, Midtown Atlanta’s Ponce De Leon Avenue has felt the presence of former NBA champion, Shaquille O’Neal.
In 2016, O’Neal purchased one of Midtown’s most iconic treasures, Atlanta’s 60-year-old Krispy Kreme flagship location on Ponce. Widely known for its size and iconic look, the original building fell victim to arson in February of 2021. In 2023, Shaq rebuilt the location and has been successfully operating it since. Now Shaq has a new venture just a few blocks east of his Krispy Kreme location.
As a corporate board member and owner of several franchise locations of Papa John’s, Shaq has opened a new location on Ponce. What used to be an old Jackson-Hewitt location for many years is now a Papa John’s with a walk up window. Located at 468 Ponce De Leon at the intersection of Ponce De Leon and Boulevard along the edges of Atlanta’s Old 4th Ward community—a working-class neighborhood that has been gentrified over the past 10 years with new wealthier residents and an explosion of hip businesses creating interest in the area.
During its grand opening in late April, the new location was offering medium cheese pizza specials for only $4.99.
Before retiring from the NBA in 2011, O’Neal began building his entrepreneurial profile. His first major franchise investment came in 2007, when he partnered with V&J Foods to open and manage 155 Five Guys locations. Shaq has since sold his interest in Five Guys and has invested in other ventures such as 24 Hour Fitness, Auntie Anne’s, movie theaters, car washes, and more.
