Raising Cane’s, a fast-food chain specializing in chicken fingers and a signature sauce, opened its second restaurant in New York City on Sept. 13. Located at 20 Astor Place, the restaurant is just a five-minute walk from Washington Square Park.
The company — founded in 1996 in Baton Rouge, LA — opened its flagship Times Square location in June. According to the company’s head of public relations, Megan Sprague, Raising Cane’s plans to open more than 20 other locations in New York City over the next few years.
With the location’s proximity to campus, NYU students like sophomore Austin Davis, lined up around the corner to order food on the restaurant’s opening day. Davis has been excited about the opening ever since he became aware of the Astor Place location at the start of the summer. He decided to stop by because of the nostalgia associated with the chain in his home state, South Carolina.
His first order at the Astor Place location was the “The Caniac Combo,” which included six chicken fingers, crinkle-cut fries, two Cane’s Sauces, Texas Toast, coleslaw and a large fountain drink, all for $19.99. Davis said his favorite items are the Texas Toast and Cane’s Sauce — a tangy combination of ketchup, mayo and Worcestershire sauce.
“It’s really less than a five-minute walk from my dorm,” he said. “And if it’s open so late, it might be somewhere I could go to if I need something to eat late at night.”
Dustin Shearer, Raising Cane’s vice president of company restaurants, said the company was founded by college students with its first location being near the north gates of Louisiana State University. Shearer says the new location is a “neighborhood campus restaurant” and was established with NYU students in mind.
“The location was hand-selected by our founder, Todd Graves,” Shearer said. “This is a beautiful historical building that we kept all of the original elements of, and made into a Raising Cane’s. I think the surrounding area is beautiful and we really wanted to be as close as we can be to NYU — I think it’s a home run.”
In addition to being a new dining staple for students in the area, Raising Cane’s will also be looking to employ them.
“I think the biggest mission for Raising Cane’s is providing opportunities,” Shearer said. “We were founded by college students working at our restaurant, so we’d love to have NYU students be a part of our team.”
Shearer also believes Raising Cane’s would be a good dining option for students who are looking for something “fast, fresh and good for their dollar.” Shearer added, “I’ve been around this area and I think our price is phenomenal, for what we have to offer. It’s cooked to order, and the average customer waits about three minutes.”
First-year Katrina Vazquez, who ordered crinkle-cut fries and Texas Toast on opening day, agrees with Shearer, adding that she likes the “energy” of Raising Cane’s and has always had a positive experience with the customer service. A Chicago native, the restaurant also reminds her of home.
“I’m so used to having Cane’s close to me so it was so weird when it wasn’t anymore,” Vazquez said. “Now that it’s close again, it feels familiar.”
Contact Krish Dev at [email protected].
