New Southern Chicken Finger Joint Gets Green Light To Open 1st Somerset County Location

WATCHUNG, NJ — Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers is coming to the Somerset County area.

The Watchung Planning Board approved Preliminary Site Plans for the Southern fast-food chain's application, at its May 27 meeting, to open a restaurant with a drive-thru in the Blue Star Shopping Center off Route 22 in Watchung.

The restaurant will replace the existing 8,616 square foot Hibachi Grill & Supreme Buffet pad site fronting on Route 22 with a 3,760 square foot Raising Cane’s restaurant with a 2-lane drive-thru.

The Board voted unanimously to give Raising Cane's preliminary site plan approval so that they could move forward with demolition while awaiting its New Jersey Department of Transportation(NJDOT)'s final approval.

Michael P. O’Grodnick, who is serving as the attorney representing Raising Cane's, said at the meeting that the applicant didn't want to lose that time since they anticipate mid-July for the NJDOT final approval.

Raising Cane's still needs to come back for Final Site Plan approval next.

The Planning Board first heard the application in September 2024.

Raising Cane's, based in Louisiana, began opening locations in New Jersey in 2023 in Burlington County, including Burlington, Cherry Hill and Marlton. The chain is also looking to expand to the Jersey Shore in Brick.

The chain's specialties include chicken fingers (with signature Cane's sauce), chicken sandwiches, crinkle-cut fries, Texas toast, and sweet tea.

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