Dreams really do come true. A Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers is in the works outside of Pensacola’s Cordova Mall.
The city of Pensacola has approved a request to demolish the former Red Lobster at 5100 N. Ninth Ave. to make way for a new Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers restaurant.
Excitement has been building for the prospect of the popular chicken-finger chain since a rumor began circulating that the chain was finally coming to Pensacola back in 2022. While a Raising Cane’s spokesperson said at the time that it was only just a rumor, they also said a Pensacola location could be possible in the future as the company was “actively looking and hope to join the Pensacola community soon.”
The restaurant’s time has come.
When Red Lobster began closing locations nationwide last year, including its sit-down restaurant in Pensacola, the closure opened up an opportunity for Raising Cane’s to enter the dining scene near the popular Cordova Mall.
Raising Cane’s submitted their initial application to the city of Pensacola in May for the civil site work, followed by the permit for “ground up construction of a new quick serve restaurant with attached corral, outdoor seating area and drive thru lanes” in July. Both permits have since been issued and cleared by the city of Pensacola.
Before any construction on the Raising Cane’s can begin, however, the vacant Red Lobster building will first need to be demolished.
Right now, the closest Raising Cane’s location to Pensacola is in Mobile, Alabama, so Pensacola Raising Cane’s fans will have much closer access to their cooked-to-order chicken fingers, crinkle-cut fries and their top-secret addictive Cane’s sauce.
The restaurant franchise, which opened its first in 1996, is known for its unique specialization in chicken fingers, which are marinated for 24 hours and then cooked to order, according to the Raising Cane’s website.
Could more Panhandle Raising Cane’s locations be on the way?
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.
Contributing: PNJ reporter Jim Little contributed to this report.
Hungry for more? Stay updated on the latest restaurant news by subscribing to our free Pensacola Eats newsletter, delivered to your inbox every Wednesday. Sign up for the newsletter at profile.pnj.com/newsletters/Pensacola-eats/.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Raising Cane’s is finally coming to Pensacola as old Red Lobster is razed to make way
Reporting by Brittany Misencik, Pensacola News Journal / Pensacola News Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
