Popular Fast-Growing Chicken Chain Plots Major Expansion

MASSACHUSETTS — More Massachusetts and Connecticut residents will soon be able to fulfill their craving for chicken fingers as Raising Cane's continues to expand throughout the Northeast.

The fast-growing restaurant chain, which specializes in chicken finger meals and combos, recently announced some new locations planned to open in Massachusetts, one of which held its grand opening this week, and more are expected to open soon in Connecticut as well.

New Massachusetts Locations

On Tuesday, Raising Cane's marked the grand opening of its newest location in Framingham, Mass., with a celebratory event that included a ribbon-cutting and proclamation ceremony, live DJ music and exciting giveaways.

Located at 253 Cochituate Road, off Route 30 right outside of the popular Golden Triangle retail district, the new restaurant officially opened for business at 10 a.m. and features a double-lane drive-thru that is open daily until midnight.

A "lucky 20" drawing was also held during the grand opening to award 20 customers "free Cane's for a year," and the first 100 dine-in customers who purchased a combo were given a commemorative hat and free box combo card, according to a news release provided by the company.

"It's time for chicken fingers in Framingham," Area Leader of Restaurants Ryan Helfer said in a news release. "It has been great to get to know the community leading up to our opening and we are thrilled to finally be opening our doors and continuing to deepen our roots!"

Founder Todd Graves noted the opening in Framingham built on Raising Cane's recent success in Boston, which saw the opening of the the chain's 828th restaurant last summer.

"Last August, we celebrated our 'Golden Birthday' in Boston with the opening of our Golden Restaurant as we turned 28 on [Aug. 28] and opened our 828th restaurant. It was a special celebration and a true milestone for the brand and experiencing that moment in Boston was so special to me," Graves said in a news release. "I never imagined Cane's would grow into what it is today when I opened the doors to our first restaurant in Baton Rouge nearly 29 years ago. Today, I'm excited to continue expanding on the east coast and throughout the greater Boston area with the opening of our first Framingham restaurant."

In addition to Framingham, Raising Cane's plans to open a new location next month in Saugus, Mass. Located at 799 Broadway, the new Saugus restaurant is expected to open June 3, according to the company's website.

The chain also operates Massachusetts locations in Boston, Marlborough, Methuen, Medford and Seekonk.

Raising Cane's In Connecticut

The popular chicken chain has also charted a course for expansion in Connecticut, with a new location expected to open in Wethersfield on June 24.

Located at 1298 Silas Deane Highway, which was once the site of a Denny's restaurant, the restaurant is so hotly anticipated that police recently issued a warning of expected traffic meltdowns due to the opening.

"During the initial opening, there will be traffic backed up northbound on Silas Deane Highway between Executive Square and Town Line Road, which could last approximately two weeks," Wethersfield police wrote last week.

The Wethersfield restaurant follows recent Raising Cane's openings in Simsbury and Enfield, the latter of which was the chain's first location in Connecticut.

In November, a Planning and Zoning Board approved a special exception to allow Raising Cane's to build a 3,400-square-foot restaurant at 1455 Boston Post Road in Milford.

Read More: Milford Planning Board Approves Raising Cane's Parking Plans

• Chicken Chain Traffic Meltdowns Expected In Wethersfield
• Raising Cane's To Open 1st CT Location In Enfield: Reports

Raising Cane's Throughout the Northeast

Raising Cane's southern fried menu is hardly limited to New England customers in Massachusetts and Connecticut.

The popular chicken finger chain currently operates two locations in Rhode Island and one in New Hampshire.

Raising Cane's also boasts eight restaurant locations in New York, six in New Jersey and a whopping 16 in Pennsylvania. That number does pale, however, in comparison to states like Louisiana and Texas where the chain operates 63 and 199 restaurants respectively, according to the company's website.

The high number of Louisiana restaurants makes sense, as the company was founded there in 1996.

According to a Raising Cane's representative, the restaurant chain has opened more than 20 new locations so far this year in communities across the U.S. and plans to open nearly 100 new restaurants across several new markets in states such as California, Washington, Florida, Maryland, Delaware and more by the end of 2025.

"At Raising Cane's, we are always looking for opportunities to bring our delicious chicken finger meals to new communities," a representative said to Patch.

The representative also confirmed the company has found the Northeast to be a good fit for its brand.

"We're always exploring opportunities to grow in communities that align with our brand and where we can best serve our customers," the representative said, "and the Northeast has proven to be a dynamic and diverse community who appreciate the quality and convenience of our craveable chicken finger meals."

Raising Cane's specializes in "hand batter premium chicken that's marinated for 24 hours," according to its website. The restaurant only serves its famous chicken fingers, as well as sides like crinkle-cut fries, coleslaw and Texas toast.