Cane's: Have it your way

When Todd Graves opened the first Raising Cane's at LSU's South Gates 30 years ago, the plan was small: a handful of restaurants in a few Southeastern college towns. He has since overshot that goal by roughly 995 locations.

This summer, Cane's opened its 1,000th store in Hollywood, California, a two-story shrine to the American Dream, with floor-to-ceiling LED screens and a seven-foot golden statue of Cane, the dog that gave the chain its name. 

Not bad for a business that is focused on selling one main thing, with sides.

That's the trick. Cane's is all about chicken fingers with fries, Texas toast, coleslaw and fresh lemonade. A short menu hasn't stopped customers from getting creative. Show up for the 30th anniversary, and you can order a meal your way, or try one of the dozens of “Cane’s Hacks.”

One rule first: be nice about it. Some of these take extra time, especially in a rush, and the crew is doing you a favor.

Here are a few hacks to get you started.

Put the toast to work: Texas toast is the load-bearing ingredient in many hacks.

• Some people press two slices into a little chicken-finger sandwich. Others order "BOB," toast buttered on both sides.
• You can also order the Cane's Chicken Sandwich and ask them to swap the bun for Texas toast, which raises the obvious question of why the bun was there in the first place.
• Cut into the side of a slice of Texas toast to make a pita-like pocket, pour in Cane's sauce, slide in a chicken finger and drizzle more sauce on top.

Ask for a longer bath in hot oil: Request the chicken fingers and fries extra crispy. Crispier is always better. 

Build a Nashville-style hot chicken sandwich: Ask for the complimentary, off-the-menu packets of Louisiana Hot Sauce. Mix the hot sauce into Cane's sauce for a spicier dip, or coat the strips and fold them into a slice or two of Texas toast for a rough approximation of a hot chicken sandwich.

Try the hidden honey mustard: Cane's sauce gets all the love, but honey mustard is back there too. Ask the cashier; most stores keep it behind the counter even though it never made the overhead menu.

Order it like Todd Graves: Finally, the founder's own order, which doubles as a fan favorite: the classic Box Combo with the coleslaw swapped for an extra slice of Texas toast. 

Only Nick Saban orders double slaw.