Raising Cane's CEO Todd Graves Talks Expansion, Nashville Flagship (Exclusive)

Raising Cane's CEO Todd Graves is all about bringing great chicken and a positive experience to every community he can. That now includes downtown Nashville, Tennessee, as the ever-growing chicken franchise just opened a flagship restaurant. It's country music-themed and fits right in with the overall atmosphere of one of Tennessee's biggest cities. Total Apex Entertainment got the chance to visit the grand opening and chat with Graves about the restaurant, his plans, and more.

Nashville RestaurantPhoto byRaising Cane's

Raising Cane's Debuts Impressive Nashville Flagship

A flagship restaurant is one designed specially for a location. Every single McDonald's, even if they vary in style, is just a McDonald's. That's not the case for every single Raising Cane's, as there are more than a few constructed with painstaking attention to detail regarding what community it will be entering. Nashville's flagship, as a result, is full of country music memorabilia and more.

There's a wall filled with real rhinestones to mimic Rhinestone Cowboy, a song by Glen Campbell.Todd Graves said of the wall, "One of my favorite features on the wall over here is our nod to Rhinestone Cowboy one of Glen Campbell's favorite songs... lived in Nashville, another Nashville legend. There are a million rhinestones in the wall... We look at it, our teams look at and we're like, what's the budget on that? And I'm like, who cares? Let's just do it right."

It speaks to what Graves envisioned for this particular restaurant. He wanted this one to be like a country music museum where delicious chicken and good service also occur. Other memorabilia includes Johnny and June Cash's guitars, proudly shown off on the top level. There are also nods to Elvis Pressley, Dolly Parton, Hank Williams Sr., Marty Robbins, and so many other country music legends.

Why Nashville Matters to Todd Graves

Nashville is where everyone who dreams of being anything in country music has to go. It's where those dreams can take off, depending on how much work they're given. It's an important place to Todd Graves, who said it reminded him so much of his own story. He's a successful businessman now, with a net worth of $7.6 billion and a burgeoning food empire. That wasn't always the case.

Graves revealed to Total Apex and other outlets that he once got the worst grade in his business planning class. He was also turned down by numerous banks who felt that a restaurant that only served chicken fingers just wouldn't work. Graves had a dream that required a ton of work to make a reality, which is the story of country singers alike.

He said, "These country music aspiring artists, you know, men and women, when they're young, they're like, I want to make it, and I have this dream, and I can write music and sing music. I have this, or maybe the music industry, and they come in the early dream, and they play these guitars up and down the road to get a fan base and to build their dreams. I just think it's amazing." Now, Raising Cane's is part of that street those artists will play on in the future.

Todd Graves is Living the American Dream

While the American Dream isn't something everyone today can take advantage of, a few lucky souls have been able to work their way into whatever it is they want to do. Todd Graves, CEO of Raising Cane's, is a prime example of that. He had a dream of owning his own restaurant, and now he has hundreds of them across the United States and a few worldwide.

Graves said, "Getting to live the American Dream is this privilege, right? I was a kid that had the lemonade stand in the neighborhood. Like I talked my parents into, I was probably 10 years old, like, 'Can I bring the weed eater and the lawn mower and the edger to cut grass for five bucks?'" He was always entrepreneurial and loved restaurants, combining them to make Raising Cane's, one of the fastest-growing food franchises in America.

Part of that dream is to give back to communities. It's why Raising Cane's goes anywhere so that Graves and his team of employees can provide something for the community. That started with Hurricane Katrina in Graves' home state of Louisiana, and it has grown as he and his chicken have expanded outward.

What's Next for Raising Cane's?

Raising Cane's is growing quickly. The Nashville restaurant is just one of many planned expansions for the company. Even just in the Tennessee area, there are several other areas Todd Graves mentioned eventually bringing the restaurant, too. Eventually, the franchise might be a lot more common than it is now. However, don't expect it to pop up everywhere like McDonald's.

There are several golden arches in just about every town, but that's not the goal for Graves and Cane's. "I want to do it every single place where we can financially keep a restaurant open that generates profit to do the things we want to do, so everywhere, anywhere, and around the world," he said.

He went on to explain, "I've seen so many concepts that are doing very well, especially the restaurant business. And what they do, they over-expand." Graves said they planned 100 restaurants to open over a 12-month period, adding, "We feel comfortable to open 100 great restaurants with great crew, great culture, and then be able to do well and actively evolve it. We're still in just 40 states now, and we still have 800 restaurants [to open]."

Graves didn't get to where he is today by recklessly opening restaurants anywhere and everywhere despite his professed desire to eventually get there. For now, Raising Cane's has officially added a fantastic restaurant in Nashville, Tennessee. More are coming, so those who don't live near one can rest assured that this is not the end of Graves' outward expansion. What once started as a start-up chicken restaurant in Louisiana is huge, and it's not going anywhere anytime soon.

About the Author

Zachary Roberts is an avid gamer, sports, and entertainment fan who loves to write. He has worked for Sportskeeda, VideoGamer, Esports.net, and now Total Apex. He loves writing about entertainment as it is such a large industry with so many different avenues. You can follow him on X (@zachary44332211) and keep an eye on the Total Apex Gaming website for top-notch video game coverage!

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