Win free fried chicken for a year as this ‘craveable’ new fast food chain debuts in Ceres
Why did Stanislaus County diners cross the road?
To get to the county’s second Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers, of course. The chicken tenders chain with a loyal cult following is opening its first Ceres location at the start of the city’s busy Hatch Road shopping district. The new restaurant will open eight months after the county’s first location debuted in Modesto last December.
The Ceres site, in front of the former Kmart on Hatch, will open for all-day and late-night noshing starting Tuesday, Aug. 22. The newest Raising Cane’s will be the Louisiana-based chain’s fifth San Joaquin Valley location, with other restaurants in Manteca, Stockton and Lodi. The company has 84 sites in California and some 750 worldwide.
The location was selected two years ago as part of a development that is renovating the former department store building into a Public Storage self-storage facility and had added a Dutch Bros Coffee kiosk. Cane’s representatives said the Ceres location fit the company’s rapid growth plan.
“Raising Cane’s has seen great success with our location in northwest Modesto, and enthusiastic support from customers in the Central Valley area,” a company spokesperson said in a written statement. “As we grow, it is important for us to add locations to improve convenience for our customers. We are excited to start serving Caniacs (the nickname for its fans) in Ceres and the southern Modesto area.“
The grand opening will include a ribbon-cutting ceremony with local dignitaries as well as a giveaway of “Free Cane’s for a Year” for 20 lucky customers (only open to those 13 and older — so sorry small fry; must be present to win). The winners will be drawn at random from those in line between 6:30 and 7:30 a.m., ahead of its 8 a.m. opening.
Cane representatives expect crowds to line up well in advance in Ceres, as they did for the Modesto site and others in the region. Other prizes, giveaways and performances will be held throughout the day. Devoted Raising Cane’s fans even have their own club — the Caniac Club, which offers specials and deals in its loyalty program.
Founded in 1996, the chain is another successful one-trick pony fast food seller. Much like In-N-Out only serves burgers, Raising Cane’s only serves chicken fingers (made from never-frozen breaded chicken tenders, which are fried fresh to order) along with a small selection of sides.
You can get your tenders as a meal or in a sandwich, but don’t ask for chicken wings or drumsticks or anything else. The restaurants serve only the fingers, which they refer to as their “One Love.”
For the uninitiated, Cane’s regulars recommend their “craveable” chicken finger boxes, which include a mix of items: chicken fingers, crinkle-cut fries, Texas toast, coleslaw, Cane’s sauce and a drink. The boxes range in price from $9.79 to $16.35. If you order one, might I also recommend loading your tenders onto your toast and topping them with the coleslaw and sauce for the absolutely perfect bite. They call it craveable for a reason, folks.
With all of its locations, Cane’s tries to incorporate local groups and luminaries into its decor. The Modesto site opened with Star Wars memorabilia and photos of homegrown celebrities like “Avengers” star Jeremy Renner and “Buffy” alum James Marsters.
The new location has items from area schools and sports teams including Ceres and Central Valley highs as well as general valley-centric items including Modesto Nuts apparel and “American Graffiti” posters.
The location will open with 101 employees who will staff it through its late night hours. Store representatives said they also will be hiring continuously. For more information on careers visit jobs.raisingcanes.com.
Raising Cane’s at 1331 E. Hatch Road in Ceres will celebrate its grand opening at 8 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 22. Its regular hours will be from 9 a.m. to 2 a.m. Sunday to Wednesday and 9 a.m. to 3:30 a.m. Thursday to Saturday. For more information, visit www.raisingcanes.com.
