Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers opens Chicago-themed flagship location in the Loop

The 5,000-square-foot fried chicken restaurant situated directly across from Millenium Park will feature Chicago decor.

Chicken fingers and crinkle-cut friesPhoto byJami430, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

(CHICAGO) Louisiana-based Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers is known for its cooked-to-order, crispy chicken fingers and its devoted following known as Caniacs.

On Tuesday, January 10, 2023, Raising Cane's held a grand opening at its new location in downtown Chicago. The flagship restaurant will take over the spot of the former Panera Bread in the Montgomery Building at the corner of Michigan and Madison.

Grand opening events for the Southern-based chicken finger restaurant tend to be big affairs that draw large crowds, and Chicago's opening appeared to be no different. The company tweeted Tuesday morning just before the store opened that over 200 guests were already waiting in line.

The flagship location in Chicago

According to Eater Chicago, notable features of the 5,000 square foot location include its Chicago-themed decor, such as a table shaped like the Cloud Gate sculpture, (affectionately known around Chicago as "The Bean.")

Interestingly, the store is opening near two other popular fried chicken joints, Chick-fil-A and Jolibee, leading What Now Chicago to speculate on a possible "fried chicken war" brewing in the Loop.

Chicago has the second flagship location in the country

There is only one other flagship Raising Cane's in the country, with the first location opening last year on the Las Vegas Strip. Two other flagship restaurants are planned for this year, in New York City's Time Square and South Beach near Miami.

What's on the menu?

Raising Cane's is known for its simple menu. Guests can get meal combinations of fried chicken sandwiches, chicken fingers, crinkle-cut fries, and a few sides, such as Texas toast and coleslaw. It's also known for its famous creamy Cane's Sauce, a "special blend of spices" just made for dipping chicken fingers and fries into.

Fans love Cane's fried chicken for its freshness. According to the website, the restaurant uses no heat lamps but cooks every meal made to order.

Founded in 1996

Raising Cane's was founded in Louisiana in 1996 by Todd Graves. His vision was to serve only chicken fingers but to do it in the best way possible. He opened his first location on the Louisiana State University campus, and now, Raising Canes can be found across the U.S.

The chicken finger restaurant entered the Chicago market in 2017, and there are currently over a dozen locations around Chicago and the suburbs.

Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers LogoPhoto byPublic domain, via Wikimedia Commons

_______________

The flagship Raising Canes Chicken Fingers in Chicago is now open daily from 10 AM to 10 PM at 2 N. Michigan Avenue.

_______________

To get NewsBreak stories delivered for FREE on your phone, download the NewsBreak App. If you use my link, I get a small commission (at no cost to you.)