Thursday, March 2, 2023

[OPENING ALERT] Raising Cane's Officially Confirms First Metro Atlanta Opening

ToNeTo Atlanta reported in January that Raising Cane's planned to open their new Dacula restaurant March 9.  Unfortunately, the opening has been delayed, but only by a week, with the Raising Cane's website now officially promoting a debut on Thursday March 16!  

The restaurant, located at 3485 Braselton Highway between Arby's and Starbucks, was built on the site of a demolished former BB&T bank.  The Dacula restaurant in Gwinnett County is one of eight locations that Raising Cane's plans to open nationwide between now and the end of March, according to their website.  

For those unfamiliar, of which there don't seem to be many, Raising Cane's features a very simple menu with a primary focus on fried chicken tenders.  Menu offerings also include a fried chicken sandwich, crinkle cut fries, Texas Toast, and coleslaw, an item famously eliminated from the menu at Chick-fil-A in early 2016.  

ToNeTo Atlanta first reported on the Baton Rouge-based chain's plans to open in metro Atlanta in December 2021 when we exclusively reported on the Raising Cane's planned for Buford Drive near the Mall of Georgia in Buford.  The Buford restaurant - at 3300 Buford Drive - will be built on the site of a former Arby's that closed more than a year ago. Despite it having been demolished long ago, site work complications have caused significant delays in the construction of the new Raising Cane's.  According to sources within the chain, current plans call it to open in August 2023.  

A third Raising Cane's along Highway 92 in Woodstock is still in its pre-construction phase but is slated to open by the end of 2023, according to a Raising Cane's representative.    

The company will conduct a "First 100" style promotion to celebrate the opening.  The first 100 people age thirteen or older at the restaurant on opening day who purchase a combo meal will receive a complimentary Raising Cane's T-shirt.  Of those first 100 guests, the "Lucky 20" will be randomly selected to receive "Free Cane's for a Year," which equates to three free combo meals per month for a year, a value of roughly $450.  

ToNeTo Atlanta is tracking several additional Raising Cane's restaurants including one close to the perimeter and another, that if the stars align, could the first to penetrate the perimeter and actually be within the city of Atlanta.   The chain will no doubt be extra careful in their leasing efforts in light of a recent situation in Indiana where a landlord allegedly hoodwinked the restaurant into a lease where an existing covenant granted a nearby McDonald's the exclusive right to sell chicken within the shopping center.  Raising Cane's was somehow not made aware of the covenant - which had already stopped a Chipotle from leasing - and instead spent $1M+ developing the restaurant before learning of the restrictive covenant months later.  The chain sued the landlord in 2022 to among other things, have its lease voided and to be reimbursed for the expenses it incurred in developing the restaurant.  

To support the chain's metro Atlanta expansion, Raising Cane's is currently looking to a hire a "Field Training Manager - Atlanta, GA," according to a LinkedIn posting.  

University of Georgia graduate Todd Graves along with his business partner Craig Silvey opened the first Raising Cane's in Baton Rouge near the LSU campus in 1996.  Graves, who worked for Guthrie's (which proudly claims to be "America's Original Chicken Finger Restaurant") while in school in Athens, would later return to the Classic City in 2006 when he opened a new Raising Cane's on land that had been home to Guthrie's from 1984 until its closure in 2004.      

Today, there are nearly 700 Raising Cane's locations across the country, but for now, just the one Georgia location in Athens.  The vast majority of the chain's restaurants are corporately owned.  In 2022, the company said it plans to open at least ten locations in Georgia in the coming years.  Ranked by Average Unit Volume (AUV), Raising Cane's is typically second, just behind Atlanta-based Chick-fil-A.  

Are you excited for the opening of Raising Cane's in metro Atlanta?  Who do you think makes the best chicken tenders?  Where else in metro Atlanta would you like to see Raising Cane's open?

Please share your thoughts below.  

27 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am excited to see Raising Cane’s coming to the Atlanta area. Zaxbys is no longer good like they used to be. The Raising Canes I have visited in Louisiana have been great, consistently fresh and good, and I hope the ones around Atlanta are the same.

Anonymous said...

Had Cane’s once, the Athens location. I did not get what the hype was. Also don’t get the hype for Guthrie’s either. Everybody was acting like they were far better than Zaxby’s, but I did not share that opinion. The chicken fingers and sauce were no better at all, and the menus were far more limited. Overrated, in my opinion.

Anonymous said...

I am happy to see Cane's open in this market. I have friends that own Cane's restaurants in another state. Since moving here I have missed it.

Anonymous said...

Would love to have a "Raising Caine" restaurant in Cobb County, Georgia. A fast food restaurant like this is needed in my opinion.

Anonymous said...

So excited to get a canes in ATLANTA! It’s the best!!!

Ham said...

My first thought was, "Just another Zaxby's". However, maybe Raising Caines will actually trat their customers with respect unlike most Zaxby's employees.

Anonymous said...

Would be great to open one by six flags in Cobb County. I have ate Cane’s in Texas there so good better then Zaxby’s

Anonymous said...

Big plus for Canes is that they are corporate not franchise. I have found that corporate locations tend to be much better. I used to really like Zaxbys years ago but then they started growing like crazy and were more concerned with growth than quality and service. My fast food experiences around Atlanta have been mostly not great, there are exceptions, especially for corporate locations and select franchise operators, and I have feared that the Atlanta territory may similarly make Canes less than what i have experienced at Canes in other states. But hopefully bring corporate will keep them on the plus side, and hopefully Canes doesn’t become too focused on growth and lose touch with their customer base. Time will tell.

Anonymous said...

They need to open one in Cartersville GA where the "Canes" live...the purple Hurricanes (aka Trevor Lawrence). It would be a big hit!

Anonymous said...

This is the best thing because I have made several trips to Athens just to eat Cane’s. And I go EVERYTIME I go home and MS! Zaxby’s is no longer good and Guthrie’s is okay. Cane’s is MUCH NEEDED in ATL! I cannot wait I’m so excited!!!

Anonymous said...

Austell area would be a good place for one

Anonymous said...

Huey Magoos is my fave for tenders.

Anonymous said...

I am looking forward to going to the new Raising Cains in Dacula. Hoping that it’s not a carbon copy of Zaxby’s (like Huey McGoo’s is) but from what it sounds like they’re trying to copy Zaxby’s… we shall see 🤔

Anonymous said...

Put a location between Covington Ga and Madison Ga with Facebook and other big business in the area and the electric truck plant being uilt now

Anonymous said...

When I lived in Mississippi, we had both zaxby's and cane's and I personally never got the hype with cane's. Zaxby's is seasoned much better (the tenders and the fries) and I still get decent service and good food at zaxby's in the Johns Creek area. I think I remember cane's having slightly bigger tenders but can't remember. I think people also like their lemonade. But regardless, chick fil a is generally better than both. It's nice to have cane's as an option but I'm not all that excited.

Unknown said...

Taste buds change over the years. I had the Guthries t -shirt back in the day. Don't even like it that much anymore. Never thought about going back to Zaxby's after the 1st time. Only had Raising Canes once. Still memorable cause it was a long time ago. Looking forward to trying it again, preferably in EC.

Anonymous said...

This is not Atlanta

Anonymous said...

I had Huey Magoo’s once, about a year ago. I agree they were very good. Unfortunately still too far away for me.

Chicken places are afraid to move into Atlanta because of the dominance of CFA and Zaxbys. CFA has top notch service, but I find their food mediocre. Their food fare differs from other chicken places that are either regular chicken (KFC/Popeyes/etc) or tenders (Guthries/Zaxbys/etc), and I’d think Canes or Huey Magoos would be able to hold their own against CFA and would run out a lot of Zaxbys if they maintained good fresh food and good service. To me, Zaxbys would not be a viable threat to them.

Anonymous said...

Bring one to locust grove please

Anonymous said...

Commerce, ga

Anonymous said...

Everytime I go to Las Vegas, I make sure to drop in. Please open a restaurant in Jonesboro, I'm tired of Chick FIL A!

Anonymous said...

We need you in Seneca S.C. hav been to Glendale AZ

Anonymous said...

We’ve been to one in Mississippi and are happy to have one here. I did catch the intended dis on CFA though. Not necessary to get a dig in.

GoaskBK said...

That former Bojangles / Mrs Winners in Sandy Springs on Roswell Rd would make an ideal location for a Raising Canes....anyone listening???????

Anonymous said...

We Need Something besides Chic Fil A and Popeyes !!!! The Best location would be Jonesboro Road which is Considered McDonough Ga I-75 Exit 221 This is very busy area for shopping and Eating need something New

Anonymous said...

Sounds like Zaxbys

Anonymous said...

Please open a raising canes in Fayetteville ga

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