Fast-growing chicken chain Raising Cane’s is continuing its nationwide expansion, with seven new restaurants set to open next month. The company is pushing toward its goal of reaching 1,000 locations by the end of the year.
Several of the September openings are near major universities, highlighting what Raising Cane’s calls its “strong connection to college communities” that dates back nearly three decades.
The new locations will include two in California—San Diego and Santa Fe Springs—along with restaurants in New York City, Indianapolis, Spokane, Washington, Bel Air, Maryland, and Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Albuquerque's west side is getting a taste of Raising Cane's, as the company reveals plans for a new location. https://t.co/gdAX3FKYA3
— Albuquerque Business First (@ABQBizFirst) August 28, 2025
In New York City, the restaurants will be just blocks from Columbia University, across from Barnard College, and a short walk from the Manhattan School of Music. The San Diego location will be just a few miles from the University of San Diego, while Santa Fe Springs is near Cerritos College.
Other openings place the chain close to colleges as well. Spokane’s restaurant will be just over a mile from Gonzaga University, Bel Air is surrounded by 36 colleges within a 30-mile radius, and Ann Arbor’s location is steps from the University of Michigan’s downtown campus. Indianapolis’ restaurant will be near several institutions, including Indiana University and Purdue University in Indianapolis.
Raising Cane’s opened 118 restaurants in 2024, including over a dozen in January alone, and the company has made it clear it plans to keep growing. Currently, the chain operates well over 800 chicken finger locations across the United States.