At long last — the day has arrived. Work has started on the site that will become the first Raising Cane’s location in Loudoun County, and perhaps the first in all of Northern Virginia.
Local chicken finger fans have been eagerly awaiting some sign of progress ever since The Burn broke the Cane’s news back in September 2020. (See our original story here.)
Now, the Sterling-based WML Demolition & Contracting has started the work to tear down the former Capital One bank building at the Dulles Eastern Plaza off Atlantic Boulevard in Sterling.
That’s the same shopping center with the Chili’s restaurant, a Best Buy, a World Market, a McDonald’s and many other businesses. It’s across the street from the Walmart, Sam’s Club and Lowe’s Home Improvement store.
Several large backhoe-type pieces of equipment began knocking down the drive-thru lane of the former bank Wednesday morning, and inside work has begun to strip the remaining Cap One fixtures.
If the project progresses along a usual path, once the bank building is gone, site work will be done to get any underground utilities in place for the new restaurant. Once the site or pad is ready, construction will begin on the new building.
The Raising Cane’s is expected to include a drive-thru as well as an indoor dining room and an outdoor patio.
Raising Cane’s was founded in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in 1996. Its menu is straightforward, focused on chicken finger combos and chicken finger sandwiches.
Sides include crinkle-cut fries and Texas toast, and iced tea is the signature beverage.
The chain has since grown to more than 600 locations. There are several in southern and central Virginia, in Charlottesville, Richmond and Norfolk.
Now the brand has announced plans to move aggressively into NoVa. A number of locations around the region are reportedly in the works. No word yet on when the Sterling location will open or whether it will be the first to make it to opening day in our market.
Why is this popular? The menu seems even more boring and unimaginative than Chick-fil-a. Which is no mean feat. Businesses this myopic that nevertheless find success erodes my faith in humanity.
Not a huge Chick-fil-a fan.
But being one of the most successful fast-food chains ever and #1 four years in a row – Has some credibility!!
Some only post just for the negativity!
Seems maybe you’ve been living under a rock or things other than your faith have started to erode… What would be your “non myopic” successful business idea, Tex?
YES
I tried it while in California and despite the plainness of the menu everything they offered tasted really good and consistent. The tenders are juicy and the toast was buttery and soft too.
IMO its nice to have restaurants that limit what they offer to things they do it well versus places that offer a ton of stuff they do semi well or poorly. Its a nice alternative to wing shops and Chic fil a. Its okay to not be a fan.
Raising Cains is meh. Their biggest competition in Texas was a place called Chicken Express, and they beat Cains like a redheaded stepchild. But we’ll never see them up here, like another Texas favorite, Braum’s.
plz update when it’s open!!!
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