As the story goes, Walz entered the restaurant, perhaps under the illusion that his status as a vice-presidential nominee might earn him some VIP treatment—or at least a friendly handshake from Shaq, the restaurant’s towering owner. But instead, he received something far less flattering: a one-way ticket to humiliation town, courtesy of Shaq’s larger-than-life personality.
“Tim Walz walked in here like he was somebody,” Shaq reportedly said to employees afterward, shaking his head. “I don’t know if he thought I’d roll out the red carpet or something, but I just couldn’t do it. The man’s been nothing but a disappointment lately.”
Witnesses said Walz ordered a classic chicken sandwich combo, with an extra side of humility he didn’t ask for. It was when he tried to introduce himself to Shaq that the tension began to build. Walz, apparently unaware that Shaq has no patience for political fluff, allegedly greeted him with a generic “Hey, big man, love what you’re doing with the restaurant!”