Serving customers who had begun arriving more than 20 hours earlier, the first Jacksonville-area Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers opened July 15 in the Oakleaf Station shopping center.
The line for the Louisiana-based fast-food chain’s new restaurant at 8308 Merchants Way wrapped around the building for the mid-morning opening, which featured such attractions as a chance for 20 people to win free Raising Cane’s food for a year.
The restaurant is at southwest Argyle Forest Boulevard and Merchants Way in Southwest Jacksonville.
It is the first of five Northeast Florida locations identified by Raising Cane’s as potential for its restaurants, including in Mandarin, Town Center, North Jacksonville and Regency.
The restaurant company arrived in Jacksonville after opening more than 20 locations elsewhere in Florida, with the closest in Gainesville and three in the Orlando area.
The first customer to the local restaurant was Westside resident Ethan Drago, 26, who previously had to drive to Gainesville for his favorite custom order. He enjoys the Caniac Combo, which includes six chicken fingers and french fries, plus extra toast, extra sauce, no coleslaw and a drink.
He was first in line, arriving at noon July 14.
“This is an opportunity to be the first customer, especially in Jacksonville. How often do you get to be first at anything?” he said.
Sahul Flores, area leader of Raising Cane’s, said the chain sets itself apart with its secret-recipe marinade and sauce.
The marinade is made daily and is left to sit for 24 hours. After that the chicken is placed in the marinade where it bathes for another 24 hours. The company says all of its ingredients are fresh, and its chicken breasts are not frozen.
“The ingredients get mixed together, they’re able to really just kind of go together, get that flavor really dialed in,” Flores said. “We make sure it’s combined all together overnight, and then when it gets into the bird, it is able to really sink in.”
The menu comprises box combos of chicken fingers, fries, coleslaw, Texas toast and drinks.
Flores says the chain’s Cane’s Sauce is a key element of its appeal, and the company guards the recipe by only sharing it with managers.
He said he expected another six or seven Raising Cane’s to be opened in the Jacksonville market over the next two years.
Flores said Raising Cane’s uses extensive marketing to determine when and where to open new markets. Jacksonville was an overwhelming choice for Northeast Florida, he said.
“They have shown us through social media asking us to come to their city. A lot of cities that we go to are due to customers and the community outreach, and asking us when are you coming into our city and Jacksonville?” Flores said.
“I’ve wanted to open here for many years and I am excited the time has come,” said Raising Cane’s owner and founder Todd Graves in an emailed statement.
The first Jacksonville store will initially employ 170 workers. The 2,691-square-foot restaurant has 71 seats and 35 patio seats, according to a city permit, which lists the construction cost of the building at $3.1 million.
Frontier Building Corp. of Miami was the project contractor.
The Daily Record reported July 1 that three Raising Cane’s are being considered for former Pollo Tropical locations in Jacksonville. A fourth is on an outparcel at the former Regency Square Mall property.
Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers is open 10 a.m. to 2 a.m Sunday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to 3 a.m. Friday and Saturday.
Prices include $17.29 for the Caniac Combo; $11.99 for the box combo, which comes with four chicken fingers, Cane’s Sauce, fries, Texas toast and coleslaw; $10.39 for the three finger combo; and $10.79 for the sandwich combo.