Council grants Raising Cane's appeal, move set farther south on College Avenue. FAYETTEVILLE - Raising Cane's will move from its location on Millsap Road to about a mile south on College Avenue in an effort to bring relief to one of the city's most congested intersections. The City Council voted 6-1 on Thursday to grant an appeal of a conditional land-use permit the Planning Commission denied in September that will enable the chicken chain to move to the former Lewis Ford property on College Avenue. Commissioners previously denied the permit with a 6-3 vote, saying a drive-through restaurant ran counter to the city's goals for the 71B corridor and traffic flow issues in the area could be compounded. Britin Bostick, the city's interim development services director, said the project's designers plan to have cars line up at the back of the property, fitting up to about 23 cars in a double drive-through lane. An additional 26 cars could line up within an access easement north of the property without reaching College Avenue, she said. By comparison, the current site at Millsap Road can safely hold about 8 to 10 cars lined up, with Millsap being the only way in or out and no driveway onto College Avenue. "This is a much cleaner solution to traffic management," Bostick said. The move also plays into the city's wider plan to better-connect traffic flow in the area, Bostick said. An access easement extending from the property connects to Longview Street, and from there the road connects to Plainview Avenue. The city has a project in the works to extend Plainview Avenue to the Fiesta Square shopping center, connecting to Rolling Hills Drive. The city also has designs to reconfigure the Millsap Road and College Avenue intersection, and the removal of such a high-volume drive-through restaurant from that spot will help with traffic congestion relief, Bostick said. Attorney Will Kellstrom, representing Raising Cane's, said it is highly doubtful the restaurant would ever need the space to accommodate 40-plus cars. However, the business has a protocol for employees to meet waiting cars with tablet computers to get orders processed quickly, he said. Michael Goswami, an attorney representing Caliber Collision directly south of the planned site, said his client had no problems with Raising Cane's itself, but had concerns its parking lot would be "commandeered." He said the move could result in traffic problems in one area shifting to another, burdening his client. Bostick said Raising Cane's will be required by city code to provide an access point connecting to Caliber Collision, but it could be realigned during the development plan process, or closed with a requested variance. Council Member Teresa Turk said a drive-through restaurant could move into the current Raising Cane's space after it moves out, and the city would be crossing its fingers the new business isn't as high-volume. Bostick said if the drive-through use is not continued within 6 months of a new establishment, a permit would be required from the Planning Commission. Council Member Scott Berna said he saw the move as an important step in relieving traffic congestion near Millsap Road and College Avenue. The new site appeared to be a substantial improvement over the current situation, he said. "Sometimes in life you've go to take a gamble," Berna said. "In this particular case, I think the risk is worth the reward." Council Member Sarah Moore cast the no vote. She did not say why. A representative with Raising Cane's told the Flyer in August the company plans to start construction early next year, with the new space open by that fall. Council Member D'Andre Jones did not attend Thursday's meeting, which was moved from Tuesday to accommodate the election. Stacy Ryburn Stacy Ryburn is a longtime Fayetteville resident and veteran reporter for the Fayetteville Flyer. He can be reached at [email protected]. More by Stacy Ryburn

Raising Cane's opening 2 Florida locations in November. USA TODAY NETWORK - Florida Nov. 6, 2026, 3:04 p.m. ET * Raising Cane's plans to open 12 new restaurants across 10 states in November. * Two of the new locations will be in Florida, specifically in North Miami Beach and Jacksonville. * The North Miami Beach grand opening will feature giveaways, including a drawing for free Cane's for a year. Chicken finger chain Raising Cane's, known for its tightly focused menu, plans to open 12 restaurants across 10 states in November, including two new locations in Florida. The popular fast food chain famous for its tiny, focused menu of hand-battered, cooked-to-order chicken tenders, buttered Texas toast, fries, and slaw is opening a location in North Miami Beach for in-store dining, takeout, or delivery on Monday, Nov. 9, and a second Jacksonville location on Nov. 23. Early Caniacs at the grand opening in North Miami Beach can win free Cane's for a year, with other goodies available. The expansion also includes restaurants in Alabama, California, Connecticut, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, South Dakota, and Utah. "Opening 12 new Restaurants in November is another exciting milestone in Raising Cane's continued growth as we expand our footprint and bring our ONE LOVE to even more communities across the country," a Raising Cane's representative said. The chain, founded in 1996 in Louisiana by Todd Graves and named after his beloved yellow labrador, has opened nearly 100 new restaurants in 2026 and will open its first locations in the UK and Mexico in 2027, according to an email. Raising Cane's offering freebies, drawing for early Grand Opening customers. At the North Miami Beach location, Raising Cane's has a variety of goodies for the first people showing up for the ribbon-cutting ceremony at 9 a.m.: * The first customer will receive a special gift basket * The first 100 customers who order a combo in the restaurant will receive a Cane's trucker hat and a free Box Combo Card, while supplies last. * From 8 a.m. to 9 a.m., customers can enter a "Lucky 20" drawing where 20 people (age 13 and older) will win free Cane's food for a year. The drawing will be held shortly after 9 a.m.; customers must be present to win. New Raising Cane's in Florida. The newest Florida locations are opening: * Nov. 9: 14025 Biscayne Blvd., North Miami Beach, in the Target shopping plaza near Florida International University's Biscayne Bay Campus * Nov. 23: 4863 Gate Pkwy., Jacksonville, in The Markets at Town Center. Several others are in progress around the state, including a third location in Jacksonville at 10989 San Jose Blvd. in the Walmart-anchored Mandarin Corners shopping center, and one in Tallahassee at 2000 Apalachee Parkway, where an almost half-century old bank building on Apalachee Parkway was demolished to make room. Where can I find a Raising Cane's near me in Florida? There are more than 1,000 Raising Cane's restaurants in 44 U.S. states, Washington, D.C., and Guam, alongside international markets. Raising Cane's currently has 31 Florida locations. You can find the list at locations.raisingcanes.com/fl. C. A. Bridges is a journalist for the USA TODAY Network-Florida's service journalism Connect team. You can get all of Florida's best content directly in your inbox each weekday by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY. Its editors independently choose its recommendations. Some content is produced with paid support from a third party, however its editorial decisions remain independent. If you buy through its links, the USA TODAY Network may earn a commission. Prices and availability may change. Deal of the Day Recommendations are independently chosen by its editors. Purchases you make through its links may earn Marconews a commission. More Local Stories

Raising Cane's has 12 new restaurants opening this November. Saleen Martin, USA TODAY Updated Tue, November 3, 2026 at 8:26 AM PST November has arrived and with it will come 12 new Raising Cane's locations across the United States, including chicken joints in new cities. Calling the openings "highly anticipated," Raising Cane's said in late October that the company will open locations in new areas such as Brick, New Jersey, Fayetteville, North Carolina and Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The company is known for its chicken fingers, Cane's Sauce and Texas toast. Raising Cane's has over 1,000 locations across the country, with the highest concentration of locations in Texas (201), followed by California (147), Louisiana (63) and Ohio (65). New openings in November will be in 10 states. Here's what we know. Raising Cane's opening locations in 10 states this November. In addition to opening locations in New Jersey, North Carolina and South Dakota, Raising Cane's will also welcome stores in Alabama, California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Michigan and Utah. * Birmingham - 1672 Gadsden Highway (opening Nov. 23) California * Walnut Creek - 2955 N. Main St.Walnut Creek (opening Nov. 20) Connecticut * Waterbury - 335 Union St. (opening Nov. 23) * Jacksonville - 4863 Gate Parkway (opening Nov. 23) * North Miami Beach - 14025 Biscayne Blvd. (opening Nov. 9) * Homewood - 17601 S. Halsted St. (opening Nov. 23) * Walker - 3179 Alpine Ave. NW (opening Nov. 20) New Jersey * Brick - 1036 Cedar Bridge Ave. (opening Nov. 2) North Carolina * Fayetteville - 1812 Skibo Road (opening Nov. 5) South Dakota * Sioux Falls - 4004 W. 41st St. (opening Nov. 17) * Orem - 11 W. Center St. (opening Nov. 30) * Spanish Fork - 990 N. 400 E. (opening Nov. 2) Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY's trending team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia - the 757. Email her at [email protected].