The Secret Behind Raising Cane's Crazy Growth!

01/09/2025 8 min

Listen "The Secret Behind Raising Cane's Crazy Growth!"

Episode Synopsis

Raising Cane's success with just chicken tenders shows the power of focus in the fast food industry. But, what happens when successful brands explore brand extension, and risk brand dilution? Let's explore the recipe for success, and why the best chicken tenders come from a simple menu.⸻What Retailers Want – Ray CRE Broker’s continuing saga exploring how top retailers choose their brick-and-mortar locations, and what it means for investors.Raising Cane’s has grown from one college-town shop in Louisiana to 900+ locations nationwide, with average unit volumes over $5 million. But they don’t pick sites at random. Their expansion is laser-focused — visibility, drive-thru capacity, fast-food frequency, and household demographics all play a role.In this episode, we cover:• The brand story: Todd Graves’ journey from rejected business plan to $5B brand.• Site criteria: traffic counts, demographics, and why Cane’s is obsessed with drive-thrus.• Case study: SW Military Drive in San Antonio — 1 million visits, median incomes ~$50K, 90% Hispanic trade area, and cross-shopping with South Park Mall + H-E-B.• Future growth: nearly 100 new stores opening in 2025, iconic sites coming in 2026 like SoFi Stadium (LA) and Fisherman’s Wharf (SF).• Investment profile: 15–20 year NNN leases, 10% rent bumps, $5M AUV, and 2025 cap rates in the 4.5%–5.0% range.📍 Featured Location: Raising Cane’s – 2525 SW Military Dr, San Antonio, TX💬 Who’s winning the Chicken Wars — Cane’s, Chick-fil-A, or Popeyes? Drop your answer in the comments, and let me know which retailer we should cover next on What Retailers Want.⸻📌 #RaisingCanes #WhatRetailersWant #CommercialRealEstate #RetailRealEstate #NetLease #ChickenWars⸻🎥 Watch more episodes of What Retailers Want: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jw25GSQLxGo&list=PLH-TFnCjG4vLFzE_Nj6Mhr7Hn2gj1gi55📩 Subscribe to Ray CRE Broker: https://www.raycrebroker.com📈 Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raycrebroker🌐 Learn more: raycrebroker.com