Tag: Raising Canes

By Mike Hazlip—
Citrus Heights’ most recent fast food restaurant seems to be living up to its reputation as a chicken finger hot spot, as the drive-thru line this week for Raising Cane’s at times extended far behind Lowe’s and stretched almost to the Walmart neighborhood market.

The increased traffic came despite the company opting to have a “quiet opening.” Raising Cane’s area leader Lisa Toth said events around a typical grand opening involve more fanfare, but the company wanted to be a good neighbor to nearby businesses.

Following the restaurant’s official opening on Sunday, Raising Cane’s workers directed two lanes of drive-thru traffic in an effort to keep intersections and driveways clear in the Marketplace at Birdcage shopping center.

Customers waited in their vehicles for over an hour for drive-thru orders, Toth said. Those ordering inside could get their meal in about 20 to 30 minutes.

The first customers began lining up just before midnight on Saturday, according to Toth. Weather data shows Temperatures dipped to a low of 37 degrees between Saturday night and into early Sunday morning, as about 30 people waited for Raising Cane’s to open.

The Citrus Heights location is the first in the Sacramento area, Toth said. The Sacramento Bee recently reported an additional location opened in Davis. The company’s website also lists another location in Stockton.

According to plans approved by the Citrus Heights Planning Commission, the restaurant at 7804 Greenback Ln. is a little over 3,000-square-feet in size and includes 48 seats inside and 23 seats on a patio.

The Louisiana-based restaurant chain boasts over 500 locations nationally and is known for their limited menu and appeal to college-age demographics. Popular items are chicken fingers, Texas toast and cole slaw.

Sentinel staff report–
Despite national supply chain issues and labor shortages, Raising Cane’s says it’s on track to open its newest restaurant in Citrus Heights next month.

A spokesman for the company said Friday that the restaurant, located in front of Hobby Lobby on Greenback Lane, is still on schedule to open December 12. He said hiring of 200 crew members for the location is also “on track.”

The Louisiana-based restaurant chain boasts over 500 locations nationally and is known for their limited menu and appeal to college-age demographics. Popular items are chicken fingers, Texas toast and cole slaw.

According to plans approved by the city’s Planning Commission, the restaurant is just over 3,000-square-feet in size and will include 48 seats inside and 23 seats on a patio.

On Friday, fresh paving could be seen on the drive-thru’s dual lanes, and finishing touches were being made by crews inside the restaurant. Landscaping had yet to be planted, and a portion of the drive-thru near the pickup window was still unpaved.

Job postings on www.workatcanes.com show the Citrus Heights location is currently hiring cooks, cashiers, and crew members, with starting pay listed at $15 per hour. A shift manager is also being sought.

By Mike Hazlip—
Construction fencing and heavy machinery can now be seen in the Hobby Lobby parking lot on Greenback Lane where the region’s first Raising Cane’s chicken fingers drive-thru is set to open.

Crews have already started breaking up the asphalt at the site, which takes up a large portion of the former Toys R Us parking lot.

The Louisiana-based restaurant company did not return The Sentinel’s request for comment by press time Wednesday evening, but city spokeswoman Nichole Baxter said the project is going according to plan.

“There weren’t any changes to their approved design; they pulled their first building permits the week of April 19 to begin site work, and have been moving along quickly,” she said in an email this week.

A previous report from The Sentinel shows the Citrus Heights Planning Commission unanimously approved the proposal in December. A “development proposal” sign was visible at the site for several months to allow public input on the project.

Plans call for a 3,172-square-foot restaurant and a 199-square-foot outdoor covered patio. The total site area will take up 36,566 square feet of the Hobby Lobby parking area. A reciprocal parking agreement has been made with the craft store.

The restaurant will have 24 parking spaces and a drive-thru capacity of 18 vehicles.

Raising Cane’s is reportedly planning to open more than 30 locations throughout the Central Valley. In addition to Citrus Heights, new restaurants are planned for Roseville and Natomas, according to the Sacramento Business Journal. The nearest location to Citrus Heights is currently in Reno, Nevada.

The restaurant chain is known for its chicken fingers, cole slaw, and Texas toast. With over 500 locations nationally, Citrus Heights will be the first Northern California location. The business eventually plans to open 30 locations throughout the Central Valley.

A site plan of the new restaurant can be viewed in the prior story: Citrus Heights Planning Commission gives OK to new Raising Cane’s drive-thru

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Sentinel staff report–
Despite economic shutdowns during the coronavirus pandemic, Citrus Heights is on track to add a new Louisiana-based chicken fingers restaurant to the variety of eateries available in the city.

The Citrus Heights Planning Commission on Wednesday gave unanimous approval for a 3,100-square-foot restaurant to be built in the corner of the Hobby Lobby parking lot area closest to Greenback Lane. The vote was held following brief comments from several commissioners and an uneventful public hearing, where no comments were submitted from the public.

Popular Japanese noodle restaurant to open new location in Citrus Heights

Commissioner Janelle Ingle said she was happy to see restaurant management had preemptively addressed concerns with hours of operation that were initially proposed to extend to 3:30 a.m. on weekends. The restaurant has agreed to operate with a 1 a.m. closing time on weekends due to input from police and the city, but the closing time can be addressed again at a later date after more review.

Plans call for a 3,172-square-foot restaurant and a 199-square-foot outdoor covered patio. The total site area will take up 36,566 square feet of the Hobby Lobby parking area. A reciprocal parking agreement has been made with the craft store.

Eleven protected trees will be removed as part of the project, but a city planner said replacement trees in the landscaping plan will “more than” compensate for the removals.

Plans call for 24 parking spaces and one space reserved for a clean air vehicle. The proposal calls for two drive-thru lanes with a total capacity of 18 cars.

For traffic management, a “no U-turn” sign will be added in the nearby median on Greenback Lane. City Engineer Leslie Blomquist said the signage was required to prevent drivers making a right-only exit onto Greenback from immediately making a U-turn to go in the opposite direction.

Raising Cane’s is known for their limited menu and appeal to college-age demographics, according to a recent report in the Sacramento Business Journal. Popular items are its chicken fingers, Texas toast and cole slaw.

The company is reportedly planning to open more than 30 locations throughout the Central Valley. In addition to Citrus Heights, new restaurants are planned for Roseville and Natomas, according to the Journal. The nearest location to Citrus Heights is currently in Reno, Nevada.

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