Raising Cane’s, the Louisiana-based quick-service fried chicken chain, has plans to open another six locations across the greater Phoenix region through spring 2023, beginning with a Mesa outpost at 1127 N. Dobson Road that’s due to open Nov 15, according to Vice President of company restaurants, Jason Zwerin.
The additional five restaurants include; 5959 West Thunderbird Rd. in Glendale opening late November, 1866 N. Arizona Ave. in Chandler opening this December, 1525 N. 51st Ave. in Phoenix slated for early 2023, another Mesa outpost at 1250 S. Alma Rd. also slated for early 2023, and 1220 N. Dysart Rd. in Goodyear opening spring 2023.
“Phoenix has been a great market for Cane’s,” Zwerin tells What Now Phoenix. “We’re seeing some of our highest volume restaurants in the system there, and as we continue to open up more restaurants it’s been great to see the brand recognition, and also serving a whole bunch of new Caniacs,” the brand’s affectionate term for its loyal clientele.
Raising Cane’s opened its first restaurant in the greater Phoenix region 11 years ago – on the corner of I-17 and W Peoria Ave. – and has since grown its footprint to include 22 sites. Similarly, the upcoming Mesa outpost will mark the brand’s thirtieth in the state.
“We currently employ over 2,200 crew members in the Phoenix area, and with those six restaurants in the pipeline that’ll take that number to about 3,000. So we’re just excited to continue to create more job opportunities and continue to work in those communities and continue to give back,” says Zwerin, adding that Raising Cane’s has plans to ultimately launch another 10 restaurants over the next two years.
Founded in Baton Rouge in 1996 by the uncompromising entrepreneur Todd Graves, Raising Cane’s now has more than 600 locations across the country. However, that success was not without its doubters.
According to Graves’ story on the company’s official website, Raising Cane’s “began as a college dream” which was parlayed into an assignment for Graves’s business course that, “ironically, earned the lowest grade in the class. The professor said a restaurant serving only chicken fingers in South Louisiana would never work.”
Since then, Graves has gone on to not only build a chicken empire but also earn wide acclaim, with such accolades as the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year, SCORE Award for Outstanding Socially Progressive Business, Restaurateur of the Year by Louisiana Restaurant Association, and Louisianan of the Year by Louisiana Life.
