“At Raising Cane’s, we only serve the highest quality chicken finger meals. It’s our ONE LOVE. This means you will get premium selection, always fresh, never ever frozen chicken fingers. Our crew makes it happen, our culture makes it unique and the community makes it all worthwhile.”
– Todd Graves, Founder and CEO of Fry Cook & Cashier
If you ask Raising Cane’s founder the secret to the success of his restaurant, that’s probably what he’ll tell you. A fast-food chain that’s famous for serving only chicken fingers at the core of its menu, Raising Cane’s was founded in Baton Rouge, Louisiana back in 2007. Today it is in more than 150 locations scattered across 15 states, and its chicken fingers are still making waves.
The concept that began with one love
Before Todd Graves succeeded in making Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers a reality, he met a couple of bumps along the way. First, his initial idea of a chicken finger restaurant was shot down in his college class, with his professor saying that it will never work. The banks were no help either, but Graves was so determined that he worked hard in getting the money he needed to put up his own business. He became a boilermaker in an LA refinery and even turned to commercial fishing (for Sockeye Salmon in Alaska, nonetheless!) to earn the money he needed to get an SBA loan approved.
Finally, the concept of a chicken fingers restaurant slowly turned to reality, when Graves and business partner Craig Silvey put up the first restaurant in Louisiana. They were going to name it “Sockeye’s Chicken Fingers” after the salmon, but they ended up naming it after Grave’s yellow Labrador, Raising Cane.
“Our crew makes it happen”
Raising Cane’s is known for its high quality chicken fingers, which are always fresh and never frozen, made from 100% premium chicken tenderloins that are cooked in a special 24-hour marinade. The homemade Cane’s sauce, Cane’s Crinkle-Cut Fries, Cane Slaw, and Texas Toast are also made from the highest quality ingredients, making them the perfect complementary sides to the chicken.
But Raising Cane’s knows that all of these won’t happen without the crew, which is why they are the most valuable stakeholders in this whole set-up. Todd Graves values his people so much, because he knows that high quality people mean high quality food that will satisfy the customers. The front line, the cooks, the cashiers, and the managers are the most important people in the company, because they are the ones who are responsible for every single meal that Raising Cane’s serves.
“Our culture makes it unique”
The culture of employee empowerment makes working for Raising Cane’s fun, and this culture also spills over to the dining experience of the customers. The restaurants are bright, casual and cheery, and when you step inside you will be treated to a dining experience that you’ll always remember as fun.
The culture of being focused on one love and one food item also makes the restaurant quite unique. The menu is pretty straightforward and simple to prepare, and this is why they can provide high quality meals at the fastest possible time. Basically there are 4 types of chicken finger meals you can get:
• The Perfect Combo: 4 chicken fingers, fries, 1 Cane’s sauce, coleslaw, Texas toast, and a drink
• The 3 Finger Combo: 3 chicken fingers, fries, 1 Cane’s sauce, Texas toast, and a regular drink
• The Caniac Combo: 6 chicken fingers, extra fries, 2 Cane’s sauce, coleslaw, Texas toast, and a large drink
• The Sandwich Combo: 3 chicken fingers and lettuce in a Kaiser roll, fries, Cane’s Sauce, and a regular drink
You can also opt for the Kid’s Meal (2 chicken fingers, fries, 1 Cane’s Sauce, a kid’s drink, and a prize). For parties and group orders, you can get Tailgates (chicken fingers with Cane’s sauce) that come in quantities of 25, 50, 75, and 100. The drinks, served over crushed ice, include soft drinks, as well as freshly squeezed lemonade, as well as freshly brewed sweet or unsweetened iced tea.
The community that makes it worthwhile
Raising Cane’s also values giving back to the community, and this spirit of giving lies at the core of the restaurant’s philosophy. Not only does Raising Cane’s serve high quality meals to the community where it’s in, it has also found a way to be involved in that community.
The 5 focus areas of community relations are Education, Feeding the Hungry, Pet Welfare, Active Lifestyles, and Business Development/Entrepreneurship. This means tat Raising Cane’s supports the community in these 5 areas, coming up with activities and supporting organizations that also believe in these philosophies. Because of this, Raising Cane’s restaurants all over the country have become integral parts of the communities they exist in.
