Raising Cane’s is the new hype in Lake County

Lake County’s first ever Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers opened on October 26 at the shopping complex ahead of Menard’s at Grand Avenue just south of Gurnee Mills. The franchise has received a warm welcome and made their presence known around the county.

In the midst of COVID-19, Raising Cane’s filled the empty void by bringing a new feel to the community. People of all ages anticipated opening day and couldn’t wait for the new restaurant to open. A Grayslake North student was one of the first 100 on opening day.

“When I arrived, they gave out a big basket to the first person in line. The first one-hundred people got to spin a wheel and win gift cards. For every box combo people bought, they would get a gift card. I think what makes Cane’s different is their sauce and chicken; it was overall a really cool experience,” said senior Brendon Paul.

The opening week of the restaurant led many people from McHenry County and Southern Wisconsin to try the new restaurant. They have made people wait from 8:00 a.m. to nearly midnight for food. Like waiting in a lunch cafeteria, the line from Grand Avenue grew to Hunt Club Road, and many cars caused commotion.

“The line was hectic and made me wait about 20-35 minutes. I personally think it was worth it. Plus, it’s always better to substitute the cole slaw for extra Texas toast. Their staff are friendly and very efficient with handling everyone’s orders,” said senior Logan Perry.

Word of mouth has spread quickly among various high schools in Lake County, and the problem some students are facing is trying to make it back to class on time after trying to get Raising Cane’s. Teachers are starting to give tardies to their students who aren’t coming back at their designated time.

“Teenagers want to follow the hype and want to go out and try whatever’s trending. What they don’t take into factor is how much time they have. I wasn’t going to go because the line was too bad. Some of my friends had to wait an hour just to get in front of the line,” said senior Saniya Moore.