The Number of Raising Cane’s in Every State [MAP]

Raising Cane’s is having a growth spurt. With locations popping up at a prolific rate and Grammy-winner Post Malone as its celebrity spokesperson, the fast-food chain famous for its chicken fingers is gaining on competitors like Popeye’s and Chick-fil-A.

The 27-year-old company’s beginnings, though, were humble. Raising Cane’s Cinderella story began with a college business class project. After receiving the lowest grade in the class after pitching his idea for a chicken finger restaurant, now-founder and CEO Todd Graves was only more inspired to prove his dream viable. In ‘94, he moved to Los Angeles and became a boilermaker at an oil refinery, working long hours and saving every penny he could to fund his dream. Following a tip from a coworker, he then traveled up to Alaska to pursue commercial fishing, and found work as a sockeye salmon fisherman in Bristol Bay. In ‘96, he moved back home to Louisiana with his stack of hard-earned cash, secured a bank loan, and started building his first restaurant at the North Gates of Louisiana State University.

During construction, Graves toyed with the idea of naming his venture “Sockeye’s” to honor his time spent in Alaska, but his friend suggested naming it after Graves’ dog, Raising Cane. (The yellow lab passed away in ‘98, but Cane III — born in 2017 — is now the official mascot. All are encouraged to follow her on Instagram here.)

On Aug. 28, 1996, Raising Cane’s opened for business and became an instant success. Graves was 24 years old, and he’s been the CEO ever since. Now, there are over 700 Raising Cane’s locations nationwide, and a handful of spots in the Middle East. The menu is streamlined and straightforward: There’s chicken fingers, crinkle-cut fries, Texas toast, coleslaw, and Cane’s famous sauce. They have a chicken sandwich, too, but any real “Caniac” will tell you to scratch the sandwich, order an extra piece of Texas toast, and make your own — trust us.

Unfortunately, there are still large swaths of land where Raising Cane’s has yet to set up shop, particularly New England and the northwestern U.S. between Idaho and eastern Minnesota. It’s a travesty, and as far as we’re concerned, these states represent a chicken finger-less wasteland. But never fear, as an outpost will likely appear in a city near you eventually. According to a Raising Cane’s spokesperson, their goal is to become one of the top 10 U.S. restaurant brands, and they’re set to open at least 100 more locations by the end of this year, including spots in the currently Cane-less New Jersey. Long-term, they’re planning to operate over 1,500 restaurants across the U.S.

Sit tight, folks. You’ll get your chicken soon enough. But for now, these are the states where Raising Cane’s is readily available.

The Number of Raising Canes by State

*Image sourced from jetcityimage – stock.adobe.com