The beat of pop music pulsed across the parking lot on Tuesday morning, as Saint Xavier University cheerleaders danced, crowds cheered, and the smell of fried chicken drifted through the air.
Raising Cane’s was throwing a party.
Bright and early on June 3, more than 200 people gathered outside the chain’s newest location at 6401 W. 95th St. in Chicago Ridge for a ribbon-cutting ceremony that doubled as a community celebration, complete with prizes, dancing and declarations of civic pride.
“This will be a pillar in the community,” Chicago Ridge Mayor Jack Lind said, moments before the ribbon was snipped and the doors opened.
The fast-growing chicken chain’s latest spot — on the corner of 95th Street and Ridgeland Avenue — is its 34th location in Illinois. The restaurant will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 1 a.m.
But for many on Tuesday, this wasn’t just another store opening.
Chicago Ridge village officials, Oak Lawn Chamber of Commerce members, alongside a crowd of eager residents – with some that camped out even before midnight for the big event because a raffle gave 20 lucky attendees free Cane’s for a year.
The man overseeing the Chicago Ridge location, Restaurant Leader Eduardo Lemus, said he’s thrilled to be part of the community.
“It feels great to be in the heart of Chicago Ridge,” Lemus said.
Eric Bednar, Area Leader of Restaurants for Raising Cane’s, said the company’s momentum goes beyond its menu.
“The growth in this brand is amazing,” Bednar said. “And the impact its culture can have — just by bringing people together — is incredible.”
During the festivities on Tuesday, Raising Cane’s presented the Chicago Ridge Park District with a check for $1,000. Jennifer Grabowski, Recreation Supervisor of the Chicago Ridge Park District, gratefully accepted the generous donation.
With its newest store now open, Raising Cane’s adds another link to its expanding Midwestern footprint, and another gathering place for a village that showed up early, hungry, and ready to celebrate.
