Raising Cane’s celebrates Rockford opening

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) – Rockford residents will no longer have to drive 35 to 40 miles to cool their desire for fresh hot chicken fingers from Raising Cane’s.

“I am very excited,” said customer Catherine Kelley, of Rockford. “This is the first one that’s here in the Rockford area.”

Raising Cane’s is set to open Tuesday, April 15, on the southwest corner of East State Street and South Trainer Road. Until that day, the closest locations were in DeKalb and Janesville, Wisconsin.

“We’ve been expanding our restaurants across Illinois, and we finally expanded to Rockford,” said Lidia Soto, Raising Cane’s area leader of restaurants. “And we have a big group of crew members who are super excited and thrilled and just ready to rock and serve our incredible chicken-finger meals.”

The opening comes six months ahead of schedule. 

“This building has a double-lane drive-thru, as well as a spacious dining room,” Soto said. “And we also have an outdoor seating area, which is perfect, in time for spring.”

The menu at Raising Cane’s is a focused one. The customer favorite is the Box Combo: four chicken fingers with Cane’s Sauce, fries, Texas toast, and coleslaw.

“The toast is probably my favorite part,” said Rockford resident Sierra Gregg, who grabbed lunch Monday during the Raising Cane’s corporate training event. “The fries are always good. And the chicken is great with the sauce and the coleslaw brings it all together.”

The 3,225 square-foot will be open from 10 a.m. to 1:30 a.m., Sunday through Thursday and 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 a.m., Friday and Saturday.