Raising Cane’s, popular chicken finger restaurant chain, set to open first Queens location in Flushing

Raising Cane's
Photo courtesy of Raising Cane’s

The popular chicken finger restaurant chain “Raising Cane’s” is set to open its first location in Queens on Tuesday, July 9, at its newly established Flushing restaurant at 39-20 Main St.

The Flushing restaurant will offer Queens residents a taste of the chain’s fried chicken. Customers can feast on its famous chicken fingers, Texas toast, crinkle-cut fries, coleslaw and Cane’s Sauce. The Louisiana-founded company operates 800 restaurants across the nation.

Located at the corner of Main Street and Roosevelt Avenue, the first Raising Cane’s in the borough is close to Citi Field, the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, and other cultural landmarks. Numerous retail hubs, including the Skyview, Tangram, and New World Malls, are also nearby.

To celebrate the grand opening, numerous community activities will take place at the Flushing location, both before and after doors open at 9 a.m.

There will be a “Lucky 20” drawing, in which 20 entrants will win free Cane’s for a year. People over the age of 13 can enter the drawing from 7:15-8:15 a.m., and the winners, who must be present, will be announced shortly after entry closes.

Commemorative Flushing hats and free Box Combo cards will be awarded to the first 100 customers who buy a box combo, which consists of four chicken fingers, crinkle-cut fries, one Cane’s Sauce, Texas toast, coleslaw and a regular 22-ounce fountain drink.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony will also be held, with representatives from the New York City Police Department’s 109th Precinct, the Queens Chamber of Commerce, and the Flushing Chinese Business Association expected to attend. Cane’s will also present checks to the New York Hall of Science and the Glow Cultural Center.

New York City EDM DJ and violinist Yut Chia will entertain customers. The grand opening will also include a traditional Chinese Lion Dance, which is meant to bring good luck and positive energy to the new location.

Getting to this new location will not be difficult, as major transportation hubs have drop-off locations nearby. These include the 7 train Flushing Main Street Station, the Long Island Rail Road, and multiple Q bus lines from the MTA.

Raising Cane’s has been quick in its expansion across New York City, having already opened six locations over the past year. These new spots are found in Times Square, Astor Place, Harlem, Downtown Brooklyn, Kings Highway and Penn Station.

“Since opening our Global Flagship location in Times Square last year, we’ve been taking NYC by storm,” Raising Cane’s Area Leader of Restaurants Kameron Robertson said. “We couldn’t be more excited to continue our chicken finger reign by expanding into ‘The World’s Borough.’”
The Flushing location will be open daily from 9 a.m. to 2 a.m. Dine-in and carry-out options will be available there. Customers can also order ahead of time through the Raising Cane’s mobile app.
Founded in 1996 by Todd Graves and Craig Silvey in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Raising Cane’s now has restaurants in more than 40 states. Already one of the fastest-growing restaurant brands in the United States, the company plans to open 100 new restaurants in numerous new markets in 2024, including in Queens.