Two years after making its Bay Area debut, the cult favorite Raising Cane’s is bringing its signature chicken fingers to two more cities.
Later this year or early next year, fans and the curious should be able to buy the crunchy, fried-to-order chicken breast strips in San Jose at the Evergreen Circle Project and in the East Bay at the Hayward Center.
Both are new developments being built from the ground up. Hunter Properties confirmed the San Jose expansion to KRON4. This will be the third Raising Cane’s in the Bay Area, after Oakland and Vacaville.
The Hayward Center plans from MerloneGeier Partners project a second quarter of 2024 opening on Mission Boulevard.
Founded in Baton Rouge, the Raising Cane’s chain is known for maintaining a strict menu focus — just chicken fingers with one signature dipping sauce, crinkle-cut fries, cole slaw and Texas toast. Customers may purchase a single chicken finger, a few as a combo, loaded on a sandwich or in large party packs.
The secret-recipe sauce has been described variously as a blend of mayo, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and Creole seasoning and as a Thousand Island-type dressing with a black-pepper kick.
The beverage menu, also concise, includes sweet tea and “unsweet” tea, both freshly brewed throughout the day; lemonade that’s freshly squeezed daily; and fountain soft drinks.
Raising Cane’s has hundreds of locations worldwide. A flagship one opened in 2023 in New York’s Times Square. In 2022, competitive eating champion Joey “Jaws” Chestnut set a Cane’s record by wolfing down 44 chicken fingers in five minutes.
Details: 2394 Evergreen Place, San Jose, and 26231 Mission Blvd., Hayward. www.raisingcanes.com/home