Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers is a casual style chain restaurant. They are unlike other restaurants in that they offer chicken fingers as their only meal. This enables them to serve exceptionally high quality meals both quickly and conveniently. Meals are prepared fresh from quality ingredients. They have a fun and friendly atmosphere.

Their headquarters is in Baton Rogue, Louisiana and they needed to open a support office in Plano, Texas. The name of the restaurant comes from a dog that one of the founders had while they were working in Alaska. He was a yellow Labrador named “Raising Cane,” who they had called “Cane” for short.

History

The history of Raising Cane’s  is both interesting and inspiring. The dream of owning a restaurant began in the 1990s for Todd Graves and Craig Silvey. Their business plan was rejected by college professors and potential investors. They said that a restaurant focused on chicken fingers would never work.

Graves began work as a boilermaker in LA, working 90 hour weeks. Graves and Silvey then went on to be commercial fishermen in Alaska. Their dangerous days were 20 hours long. They saved their money and were able to obtain an SBA loan. Their flagship location was opened near the LSU campus in 1996.

The new restaurant was located near a drive-in chicken finger competitor. Friends and family helped the restaurant start up, and some of their names are carved into the woodwork. They became so popular and they had to stay open until 3:30am. In 1999, the competitor had gone out of business.

Silvey sold his stake in the company in 1999 to pursue his education, but returned later as vice president of finance and information technology. They now have over 260 locations in 20 states, from coast to coast. They also have a location in Kuwait. The business is growing steadily, and as the CEO, Graves and the chain have given 25% of their profits back to the communities that they serve.

Review

The main focus of Raising Cane’s is chicken fingers. Their chicken is prepared fresh, never frozen. They select premium chicken breast tenderloins and use a special marinade that helps to tenderize and lock in moisture, as well as add flavor. Each piece is hand-dipped and breaded. They are fried in a blend of premium Canola Oil.

The fries are center-cut from Grade A potatoes and they are extra-long. They are cooked to have a golden-brown crisp on the outside while staying soft in the middle. The coleslaw is made by each restaurant daily. The Texas Toast is made from sesame seeded bread and brushed with a blend of butter and garlic before grilling.

Cane’s Sauce is a coveted flavor. Each batch is made fresh every day. The recipe is top secret and only the general managers know it. They serve Coca-Cola beverages, as well as their own tea and lemonade. The tea comes in sweet or unsweetened and is brewed fresh several times a day. The lemonade is also squeezed from real lemons every day.

The chicken fingers are served in combos with drinks, sauces, and sides. They are all around $10 and under. Larger orders of chicken fingers can be made to accommodate large parties. Their iced tea and lemonade is also available in gallons. All of this is served in a fun atmosphere that is clean and friendly. Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers may not have a lot of variety, but they do serve up great tasting fresh chicken fingers.