Famous for its chicken fingers and secret sauce, the Central Coast’s first Raising Cane’s drew big crowds when it opened in Salinas this week.
Some in the long line stretching down North Main Street, not far from that other chicken spot, Chick-fil-A, had been waiting for hours before the 9 a.m. grand opening on Tuesday, Nov. 18, while others had been camped out for days.
“It was about 5 (p.m.) on Sunday when I was walking by and I asked them what they were doing and they said ‘camping,'” said Jorge Morales, who was at the front of the line. “I look down and they have all their stuff, so I go, ‘I’m camping, too.’ Then it just blew up.”
Huddled inside a tent the new friends braved wind and rain for a chance to win free Raising Cane’s chicken fingers for a year. But, like many who join a trend too early, Morales turned out to be a victim of his own success.
Only 20 lucky individuals would win the grand prize, and the raffle was open to everyone who showed up early. By Morales’ last estimation, there were about 300 people in line.
“The more people the less chance we get,” Morales said. “With less people we would have got a chance.”
Down the line, Amanda Houser traveled from Monterey with her son, Bradley.
“We got up early this morning to come here and try and win free chicken fingers for a year and just enjoy a grand opening and see what it is all about,” Houser said.
Plus, Bradley had seen Raising Cane’s on Youtube.
At the very end of the line, Raising Cane’s superfan Victor Martinez was there for the love of the chicken.
“I’m here because I really love Raising Cane’s,” Martinez said. “I love their chicken, it’s so good, nice and tender. Freshly made. I love it.”
Martinez is an Uber driver, so he has been to many Raising Cane’s.
“I’ve been to the Oakland one, San Jose and now Morgan Hill. All of them,” said Martinez, who recommends diners go for the combo meal and try the honey mustard sauce.
“Not many people know about it, but it’s a really good sauce,” he added. “Go for the combo meal—you’re going to love it.”
One of the lucky winners was North Monterey High School student Yamen Alhazouri, who showed up at the restaurant at 5:50 a.m. that morning.
“It felt good because the entire time I was waiting I had a feeling I was going to win,” Alhazouri said.
When asked what he was planning to do now, he said, “We’re going to eat, then we’re going to school.”
Raising Cane’s secret sauce
The new Salinas location is the first Raising Cane’s in Monterey County and the only one in 40 miles.
“We are very excited to open in Salinas and clearly the crowds are too,” said Regional Vice President of Operations Chris Zygler.
The expansion into the Central Coast is part of the restaurant’s plan to open 11 new locations between Nov. 4 and Nov. 18, including sites in California, Pennsylvania and, for the first time, Idaho.
Raising Cane’s told USA TODAY on Oct. 29 that the openings are part of the chain’s plan to own and operate more than 1,600 locations nationwide and become a top 10 U.S. restaurant brand by the end of the decade.
So, what is it about Raising Cane’s that makes it so special?
“Our one love,” Zygler said. “We’re very focused on one thing—we have a focused menu and take quality to the next level. All our chicken is marinated and served 24 hours after marination. It’s dropped in the fryer when you order it.”
And the famous sauce?
“The sauce is from our founder Todd Graves,” Zygler said. “It was a family recipe and was originally for seafood boils, so you can imagine down in Louisiana dipping crawfish in this, but it’s great on everything. I can’t tell you what the spices are but it’s hand mixed by managers every single day.”
Zygler said everything that can be done by hand, is done by hand.
“Our coleslaw is mixed in-house, our lemonade is just lemon, purified water and sugar,” he said. “It is quality you can taste.”
Strong company culture
Zygler said another key factor in Raising Cane’s success is the company’s strong culture.
“We take good care of people and our crew, and we also take great care of our customers and the communities in which we serve,” Zygler said. “This year, we’ll give back around $50 million to local communities.”
Outside, the North Salinas High School band played and later in the day cheer squads would put in an appearance.
“We also give back to sports programs through sponsorships and help non-profit organizations through fundraising,” Zygler said. “You can do a fundraiser here at Raising Cane’s and you get 15% of the proceeds.”
The Salinas Raising Cane’s has also made a dent in local employment.
“We hired over 160 people to work here, and we have 14 managers,” Zygler said. “We say we can change lives by working at Cane’s, and I don’t think many people believe that when they first get into the fast food business. But here at Cane’s you can.”
Zygler said that employees have opportunities to grow and become managers, with some advancing to owning their own restaurant.
“We have incredible compensation packages for all of our managers and crew members start at $20 an hour,” Zygler said.
Andrew Sandoval, the Salinas City Council member for the district that includes the new restaurant said the job opportunities Raising Cane’s brings is a win for the community.
“This is especially meaningful for our youth,” Sandoval said. “Many of the new employees are local high school students, including graduates of North Salinas High School’s outstanding Kitchen Careers program. I’m excited about Raising Cane’s commitment to partner with Salinas on youth programs and community events. Their investment shows what we already know that Salinas and Monterey County have strong purchasing power and are an attractive place for major national businesses to grow.”
Sandoval said specialty coffee chain Dutch Bros. is another popular spot that could have a home in Salinas.
“I encourage businesses of all sizes to reach out to the city of Salinas and to me directly. We’re here to support economic development,” he said.
Saleen Martin contributed to this report
This article originally appeared on Salinas Californian: New Raising Cane’s in Salinas draws hundreds on opening day. Some camped out for days
Reporting by Roseann Cattani, Salinas Californian / Salinas Californian
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
