Cult of the chicken tender

A college business professor said Todd Graves' idea for Raising Cane’s would never work. So did a woman he dated around that time, who told him on their first outing that it was “one of the dumbest things she had ever heard.”

• The date tells RedEye she’s kicking herself now. (No, we will not reveal her name.)
• But versions of that original doubt persist. Analysts tell Slate 🔒 that focusing almost exclusively on chicken tenders makes Graves’ empire inflexible and vulnerable to shifting tastes.

The bigger picture: Graves stuck to the idea, and the restaurant chain he launched near LSU in 1996 now generates more than $5 billion in annual revenue.

The other secret sauce: In the long Slate analysis, Graves credits social media with helping turn Raising Cane’s into something more than another fast-food chain.

“When I first started Raising Cane’s in 1996, we obviously didn’t have social media, but once I started to learn how to leverage it in a way that was authentic and genuine, that was a true unlock,” Graves told Slate writer Steffi Cao. “I have a lot of celebrity friends, and we’re always partnering with them around peak cultural moments, whether that be the Super Bowl, Winter Olympics, the drop of a new album, or anything in between.”

Inside the mania: Cao had never eaten at Raising Cane’s before reporting the story. She visited its Times Square location to see what inspires such devotion.

“They are evangelists who worship at its Texas toast–padded altar,” Cao writes.

• “Caniacs,” as the chain calls its fans, camp overnight and cause traffic pileups when new restaurants open.
• About 250 people slept outside a Charlotte location before its February opening, despite temperatures falling to 25 degrees.
• International influencers have flown to the U.S. specifically for the crispy chicken, Texas toast and famous sauce.

The bottom line: After eating at Cane’s and meeting friends who adore it, Cao came away with a simple verdict: “I certainly felt different in there.”