Renowned fast-casual chicken franchise Raising Cane’s is planning to continue expanding throughout New Jersey.
Raising Cane’s recently received approval from the Watchung planning board to open its first location in Somerset County, according to the minutes from a Borough of Watchung planning board meeting on May 27.
The Watchung Raising Cane’s location open at the Blue Star Shopping Center along Route 22. A building that formerly housed Hibachi Grill and Supreme Buffet will be demolished for the new restaurant.
The planning board granted preliminary site plan approval so Raising Cane’s can begin deconstruction of the building while waiting on a final approval from the Department of Transportation.
The 3,760-square-foot restaurant will feature two drive-thru lanes.
Raising Cane’s is known nationally for its chicken fingers and Cane’s sauce. Its menu also offers crinkle-cut fries, coleslaw and Texas toast.
The Louisiana-based company got its start in 1996 near Louisiana State University’s campus in Baton Rouge. It currently operates over 850 locations nationwide and six in New Jersey.
Raising Cane’s made its highly anticipated Garden State debut in Burlington in 2024 amid an expansion into the Northeast. Five more locations have since opened in Cherry Hill, Deptford, Glassboro, Marlton and Turnersville. Outposts are reportedly in the works in Edison and Fairfield as well.
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