A Louisiana-based chicken fingers chain with a cult following is planning its second Wisconsin location.
Raising Cane’s recently applied to the city of Kenosha to open a 3,331-square-foot, restaurant and drive-thru at 6303 75th St. where a 7,025-square-foot office building now sits.
The company would raze the building, using the 1.47 acres site to construct a new restaurant that would also include space for outside seating. The remaining 0.74 acres of land would be used for a 2,441-square-foot Taco John’s location, according to city documents.
Known for its five-item menu of chicken tenders, coleslaw, crinkle cut fries, Texas toast and Cane Sauce, Raising Cane’s has more than a dozen locations in the Chicago area, as well as scores of others nationwide. Its only existing Wisconsin location is on State Street near the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
This proposed Kenosha location would be about a mile off I-94 along Highway 50, near a handful of other restaurants, including Domino’s Pizza, Jersey Mike’s Subs, Wing Stop, and Arby’s.
The applicant is asking to operate the restaurant between 9 a.m. and 3:30 a.m. (the following day) on Fridays and Saturdays, and between 9:30 a.m. 1:30 a.m. (the following day) Sunday through Thursday.
Anywhere from 45 to 50 employees would work at the restaurant.
“Our extended hours of operations help us be a viable food option for customers working second and third late night and early morning shifts such as hospital staff, first responders, police, and others,” state the company in a written proposal, adding that it will employ technology, operational protocols, and security personnel to “ensure the safety of all.”
Like Chik-fil-A and Portillo’s, the company also plans to have employees with tablets take orders from customers waiting in the drive-thru lanes during peak periods.
The Kenosha City Plan Commission approved the conditional use permit for Raising Cane’s last week and will hold a final hearing on its application on Oct. 6.
