Raising Cane’s will open its first Rockford restaurant in mid-April

March 12, 2025|By Kevin Haas|In Business, Top Stories, Restaurants, Featured, Eat & Drink, Rock River Current, 815 News

When will Raising Cane's open — Raising Cane’s is shown at 6445 E. State St. on Sunday, March 9, 2025, in Rockford. The restaurant is slated to open later this spring. (Photo by Kevin Haas/Rock River Current)

Below: Fast facts on what to expect when Raising Cane’s opens in Rockford

By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — Raising Cane’s has set an opening date for its first restaurant in the city.

The chicken finger chain will open at 6445 E. State St. on Tuesday, April 15, a company representative confirmed to the Rock River Current.

“Raising Cane’s new Rockford restaurant is slated to open Tuesday, April 15, offering 20 lucky customers free Canes for a year, community givebacks, and more,” a Raising Cane’s representative told the Rock River Current via email. “As part of Raising Cane’s commitment to the communities it serves, the new restaurant will engage with local schools, sports teams, and non-profit organizations through fundraising opportunities and sponsorships.”

The opening comes ahead of schedule. Raising Cane’s initially targeted an October opening when it went through the city’s approval process last year.

The restaurant was built at the corner of State and Trainer roads, where Stone Eagle Tavern had operated for 15 years before closing in February 2024 when its lease expired and the property owner opted to sell to Raising Cane’s. Stone Eagle, a locally owned restaurant that operated from a renovated Cheddar’s building, was torn down to make way for the new 3,225-square-foot Raising Cane’s.

Raising Cane’s had a record year for growth in 2024, opening 118 restaurants across the country. Rockford is one of six locations around the country set to open in April, according to the company’s website.

There are now more than 800 Raising Cane’s in the U.S. with the nearest one to Rockford at 2411 Sycamore Road in DeKalb.

Here’s a quick breakdown of what to expect from Raising Cane’s in Rockford:

Hours

The restaurant will be open seven days a week. The hours are 10 a.m. to 1 a.m. Sunday through Thursday with extended hours on Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m.

Employees

Raising Cane’s will employ approximately 55 people in Rockford, with an average of eight employees per shift.

How long does an order take?

The average time for service is two minutes and 28 seconds, a representative of the company’s property development team previously told the Rock River Current.

Part of the speed is because of Raising Cane’s simplified menu, which focuses solely on chicken fingers with your choice of sauces and sides.

What about traffic?

During peak hours Raising Cane’s will have employees with tablets ahead of the menu boards. They will also walk orders to the outer lane to increase the efficiency of moving cars through the drive-thru.

The company’s property development team previously said they utilize off-duty police officers during its “honeymoon period” after opening to handle the initial rush of traffic after opening.

Jeremy Carter, the city’s traffic and development engineer, said during last year’s approval process that Raising Cane’s plans show that any traffic backup should be contained to their site.

What’s on the menu?

Raising Cane’s, which was founded in 1996 in Baton Rouge, Louisana, by Todd Graves, is focused solely on chicken with a menu that includes chicken fingers, fries, coleslaw and Texas toast. There is also a sandwich made with three chicken fingers. You can see the menu here.