Today I learned the first Raising Cane's in Minnesota opened in Apple Valley in 2007. That's per the latest dispatch from intern Leo Pomerenke, who did a deep dive into one of the most popular chain restaurants in the Twin Cities.
I've never made it to the original location, but I don't think I've ever visited the outpost on Lake Street in Minneapolis without running into a long line at the drive-thru. Good thing Raising Cane's simple menu — they make only chicken strips and serve them either on their own or on a bun — makes the service so speedy.
Here are four more things Pomerenke taught me about Raising Cane's this morning:
It takes about 150 seconds to make the average order
That's according to Gig McGrath, who oversees several Raising Cane's locations in Minnesota. What'd I tell ya? These folks are efficient.
It's a favorite among teens
Raising Cane's ranked as the fifth most popular restaurant chain in a 2023 survey of teenagers. It doesn't hurt that the company partners with influencers to perform pop-up "shifts" at its locations and who then post photos and videos to social media.
Travis Kelce worked one of those shifts
The Kansas City tight end may be the most famous person to work a one-off shift at Raising Cane's. The chain also supports Kelce's Eighty-Seven and Running Foundation — Raising Cane's donated $100,000 to the foundation earlier this year. As we all know, Kelce is most famous for his three Super Bowl appearances with Kansas City in 2020, 2023 and 2024.
Raising Cane's has the third-highest average sales per location of any restaurant chain in the U.S.
Raising Cane's sits behind Chick-fil-A and Portillo's and beats out a particularly overrated California-based burger chain. (You'll never guess which one.)
Want to learn more about Raising Cane's? Read Pomerenke's full story at the link here.