STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — If you have driven past the still-empty parking lot and shuttered strip of stores that is the hopeful future Staten Island site of a Raising Cane’s, you have likely noticed the site has not changed much.
Yet there was an update this week—sort of—about the location at the base of Richmond Hill Road and Richmond Avenue. Progress remains slow as the project continues to work its way through the approvals process.
A Raising Cane’s representative said Monday that it is still too early to confirm the Staten Island location, noting the development is waiting on entitlements. That refers to the period when a developer must secure required city land-use and zoning approvals before construction can begin.
The company expects more clarity “in the next month or so,” after which the project would move into permitting. Even with approvals, an opening is still projected to be about a year away. For now, there are no official updates, although the chain says it will share more information once an opening date is confirmed.
Growing in New Jersey with a foothold in Times Square
Raising Cane’s first entered New Jersey in 2024 with a Burlington restaurant and expanded shortly afterward to Washington Township, Marlton, Cherry Hill, Deptford and Glassboro. In New York City, the chain made its debut in the summer of 2023 with the opening of its 8,000‑square‑foot Global Flagship at 1501 Broadway in Times Square, its first NYC outpost and the brand’s largest location nationwide at the time. Raising Cane’s now operates three Brooklyn restaurants—1523 Kings Highway in the “Coney Island-Sheepshead Bay area, 447 Fulton Street in Downtown Brooklyn and 2143 Flatbush Avenue—with a fourth set to open on Utica Avenue. The chain also has a presence inside Maimonides Park, the Coney Island ballpark that is home to the Brooklyn Cyclones.
As previously reported, Staten Islanders were originally expecting Cane’s to open in New Springville in summer 2025. But that timeline has shifted significantly. The currently vacant property at 2456 Richmond Avenue, diagonally across from Trader Joe’s and across the street from Wendy’s, remains untouched with a food truck making occasional appearances on the flanking street. In an official statement made in 2025, the company announced that, pending city approval, Raising Cane’s now anticipates opening at the site in summer 2027. The chain signed its contract for the property in May 2024, with plans to redevelop the former strip mall once home to Furniture To Go, a FedEx shipping center and Coco Nails & Spa.
Raising Cane’s, known for chicken tenders that are marinated and hand-battered, continues a broader expansion throughout the region. In New York City, the brand kicked off its growth strategy with that Times Square flagship and has since targeted an ambitious multi-year plan to open 25 stores across the boroughs and surrounding areas.
Founded by Todd Graves in 1996, the brand traces its origins to a college business plan that was initially dismissed. Graves worked commercial fishing jobs before securing an SBA loan and opening the first location in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on August 28, 1996. The chain’s distinct look, including bold slogans and graphics splashed across ceilings and walls, accompanies each location. The name ‘Raising Cane’s’ honors Graves’ yellow Labrador, Raising Cane. An early working name, ‘Sockeye’s,’ was ultimately shelved.