Raising Cane’s to join competitive fried chicken market

Twp., said Andria Morgan — marketing manager for RCO Limited, the Dayton-area franchisee for Raising Cane’s.

The site at 1136 Miamisburg-Centerville Road (Ohio 725) in Washington Twp. most recently housed a Golden Dragon Buffet & Grill, and, before that, a Ryan’s Steakhouse. The former restaurant structure was demolished to pave the way for construction of the new Raising Cane’s.

The growing chain will arrange for a variety of social-media contests and events tied to the grand opening, but those plans are still being finalized, and details will be released in the coming weeks, Morgan said.

Meanwhile, there is no update available on Raising Cane’s plans for a new Beavercreek location, Morgan said. City officials say they have not yet received final plans for the proposed 3,576-square-foot restaurant slated to be built on a vacant tract adjacent to a Speedway on Kemp Road just east of North Fairfield Road near the Mall at Fairfield Commons.

The Ohio 725 restaurant will seat 92 inside and will employ 45 to 65, Morgan has said.

Baton Rouge, Louisiana-based Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers operates multiple restaurants in the Columbus and Cincinnati areas, and opened a restaurant in Fairfield in October 2016. Plans call for adding more Dayton-area locations, Morgan has said.

The chain prides itself on a limited menu and a simple concept, focused on chicken fingers, made “fresh, never frozen,” marinated for 24 hours, then battered and cooked to order. Also featured on the menu are crinkle-cut fries, cole slaw, Texas Toast and sauces that are made in-house every day.

Chains such as Popeye’s Louisiana Kitchen and Chick-fil-A have been in expansion mode in the region, and local startup Mike’s Nashville Hot also has opened new locations in Dayton’s south suburbs, entering a Dayton-area market that already has multiple KFC and Lee’s Famous Recipe fried-chicken restaurants.