Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers

Raising Cane's Restaurants, LLC

Company type	Private
Industry	Fast casual dining
Founded	January 1, 1996 (1996-01-01) in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States
Founder	Todd Graves, Craig Silvey
Headquarters	Baton Rouge , United States
Area served	United States, Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates
Key people	Todd Graves (co-CEO)
Products	Chicken fingers, French fries, coleslaw, Texas toast, Cane's Sauce, soft beverages
Number of employees	65000+ (2025 (projected))
Website	www.raisingcanes.com

Raising Cane's Restaurants, LLC, commonly known as Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers or simply Cane's, is an American fast casual dining brand that specializes exclusively in chicken fingers. Established in 1996 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana by entrepreneurs Todd Graves and Craig Silvey, the company’s name honors Graves’s yellow Labrador Retriever, who also serves as both the brand mascot and a certified therapy dog.

By 2024, Raising Cane's has expanded to operate more than 800 outlets throughout the United States as well as in Middle Eastern countries such as Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. The restaurant’s menu is deliberately streamlined, focusing on chicken fingers accompanied by French fries, coleslaw, Texas toast, Cane's Sauce, and a selection of soft beverages.

The company projects employing over 65,000 individuals by 2025 and recorded revenues near US$1.5 billion in 2020. Its operational philosophy prioritizes product quality over menu variety, which has helped secure a significant position within the fast casual chicken segment. Raising Cane's continues to maintain its corporate headquarters in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

History

While attending separate universities, founders Todd Graves and Craig Silvey collaborated on a business concept centered around a chicken finger restaurant. Silvey submitted this plan for an academic course but received a C-minus grade. At that time, Graves was working at Guthrie's Chicken Fingers.

After facing numerous refusals from potential investors, Graves and Silvey funded their venture through manual labor jobs and eventually obtained an SBA loan to open their inaugural location near LSU’s campus in Baton Rouge. Shortly after the second restaurant began operations, Silvey divested his ownership stake.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, Raising Cane's transitioned many of its outlets to prioritize take-out and curbside pickup services, with some dining rooms cautiously reopening by mid-year. Confronted with labor shortages in 2021, the company redeployed hundreds of corporate employees into frontline roles such as cooks and cashiers while setting a target to recruit 10,000 additional workers. According to the co-CEO, corporate staff routinely receive training for kitchen and register duties even during normal business conditions.

In 2022, Raising Cane's initiated legal action against an Indiana shopping center after discovering that a non-compete clause with McDonald's prevented them from selling boneless chicken products despite holding a long-term lease at the site.

The brand launched a collaborative marketing effort with musician Post Malone in 2023 by opening a Malone-designed restaurant in Midvale, Utah in April. This partnership extended into June with the release of themed drink cups and culminated in October with the opening of a Post Malone–Dallas Cowboys–inspired location in Dallas.

In June 2024, the company introduced an iced tea promotion featuring actor and rapper Ice-T as its mascot. Later that year in October, a new outlet opened in Encino, California showcasing design elements that pay homage to the region’s cinematic heritage.

International expansion

Raising Cane’s began its global growth strategy in 2014 by inaugurating its first international restaurant in Kuwait. Reflecting local cultural sensitivities, the company excludes its canine mascot from signage and merchandise within this market. In 2024, it further broadened its presence overseas by opening a new location in Dubai, underscoring its continued strategic focus on key Middle Eastern territories.