Canton’s Raising Cane’s opens with rock concert vibe

Fans of Raising Cane’s waited patiently in 27-degree weather for the restaurant to open its doors for the first time.
Chicken Finger Mania erupted in Canton Tuesday morning as hundreds of people braved temperatures in the 20s for a chance to be among the first customers of metro-Detroit’s first Raising Cane’s.
The popular fast-casual chain’s biggest local fans proved to be Canton twin brothers Henry and Joshua Cox, who were first in line after showing up at the Ford Road restaurant at 7 p.m. Monday night.
“We took turns sleeping in a sleeping bag,” said Henry Cox. “We have hand warmers and all that stuff.
“We may have each slept two hours all night, but we wanted to have a chance to be one of the Lucky 20.”

Cox was referring to Raising Cane’s free give-away to the earliest of arriving customers, 20 of whose names were drawn at random for a chance to win free chicken fingers for a year.
The Lucky 20
While the Cox twins weren’t among the 20 names drawn, Pioneer Middle School student Pia Famous was — and her smile couldn’t have been wider when discussing her prize.
“My brother (University of Michigan senior Rang) and I wanted to be here for the opening-day vibe,” Pia explained. “That my name was drawn for the Lucky 20 is just crazy!”
(Check out video highlights from Raising Cane’s opening by clicking here.)

Raising Cane’s Regional Vice President Jennifer Szewc said Canton was an ideal location for the first metro-Detroit community to welcome the chicken finger paradise.
“For us, in Canton the community has been an incredible partner,” said Szewc, who has helped organize grand openings across the U.S., including the location in New York City’s Times Square.
“I think who we are and how we do business at Raising Cane’s is similar to what we have found and been embraced by in the Canton community. So it was only natural that this was our choice for our first location in metro Detroit.
More locations opening soon
Szewc said the next three soon-to-open Michigan locations are Ann Arbor, Grandville and Sterling Heights.

Szewc said Raising Cane’s popularity can be attributed to focusing on a condensed menu that is headlined by hand-breaded, cooked-to-order chicken fingers, crispy cooked-to-perfection crinkle-cut french fries, creamy cole slaw, buttery Texas toast and the brand’s Cane’s Sauce.
“Chicken fingers are the one thing we do and we strive to do them better than anybody else,” she said.
Canton Supervisor Ann Marie Graham-Hudak said Canton is honored to be chosen as the first metro-Detroit location for Raising Cane’s.
“When you think about it, Canton is a thriving place; people want to come here because it’s such a diverse and growing community,” Graham-Hudak said, moments before the official ribbon-cutting ceremony. “Canton is where everybody wants to be, especially on Ford Road.
Efficient drive-thru
The opening-day drive-thru line was well-orchestrated with the assistance of Canton police officers.
Cars were lined up prior to the official opening in the parking lot of the shopping plaza that is located just north of Raising Cane’s.
Maggie Steinhauer, an area leader of marketing for Raising Cane’s, said the company is looking forward to partnering with local schools for fund-raising events.
“We’re very big on giving back to the community, especially when it comes to education,” Steinhauer said.
Ed Wright can be reached at 734-664-4657 or edwright@socialhousenews.com.
