Photo courtesy of Raising Cane's
For Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers, expansion is about far more than pursuing prime business targets. It is about finding new places to call home. It is about identifying opportunities to immerse itself in a local community.
The beloved brand’s passionate sense of community was on full display last Wednesday. After celebrating the opening of a new flagship restaurant in Nashville, owner and CEO Todd Graves visited Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at nearby Vanderbilt University.
Accompanied by recording artists The Kid LAROI and Harry Hudson, Graves served joy – and some iconic Cane’s chicken fingers – to patients in the hospital’s Seacrest Studios.
During the visit, Graves surprised Hudson with a $100,000 donation to his “Hey, I’m Here For You” charity. A cancer survivor, Hudson launched HIHFY as an initiative to help young cancer patients discover their own passions and “music” in life.
The donation was made as part of the Cane’s Active Community Involvement program, which is thus far responsible for over $130 million in donations. Key focuses of the program include supporting education, feeding the hungry, promoting active lifestyles, advocating for pet welfare, and driving entrepreneurship.
The special moment was a touching addition to a memorable two days for the Raising Cane’s family. Graves and the team kicked off the Nashville opening celebration with a star-studded party on Tuesday. He and the staff then woke up bright and early to cut the symbolic ribbon and officially begin serving customers on Wednesday morning.
As the hospital visit demonstrates, Nashville does not simply have a reliably tasty new chicken option on Broadway. It also has a new partner in cherishing the city’s rich history and pursuing opportunities for betterment.