Chicken fingers are in, and burgers are out—at least according to the latest chain restaurant news.
Chicken chain Raising Cane's is continuing its expansion into new states and cities across the U.S., to the glee of so-called "Caniacs." At the same time, burger chain Red Robin announced that it could close up to 70 "underperforming" locations.
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Raising Cane's is expanding its U.S. footprint.
Famous for its crispy chicken tenders and secret dipping sauce, Raising Cane's was founded in 1996 in Louisiana by Todd Graves, based on a college business plan that his professor scoffed at. But Graves certainly proved this person wrong, as he's now the richest man in Louisiana thanks to Raising Cane's more than 800 U.S. and international locations.
A Sept. 2024 report from Bloomberg shared that Raising Cane's increased its revenue by 30 percent to $2.3 billion in the first six months of last year. And the company notes on its website that it opened 118 new restaurants in 2024—and it doesn't seem to be slowing down in 2025.
Though Raising Cane's has not released a comprehensive list of locations on the horizon, news outlets have reported the following, many of which will have drive-thru lanes:
- Manchester, New Hampshire: March 11
- McDonough, Georgia: March 11
- Ann Arbor, Michigan: June 3
- Southaven, Tennessee: Late spring
- University District, Seattle, Washington: Late Spring
- Rockford, Illinois: Late Spring
- Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: Late spring/summer
- La Crosse, Wisconsin: Summer
- Wichita, Kansas: Summer/Fall
- Cordova, Tennessee: Fall
- Cumming, Georgia: Fall
- Conyers, Georgia: Fall
- Kennesaw, Georgia: November/December
- Oak Creek, Wisconsin: December
- Midtown Atlanta, Georgia: Spring 2026
- Sacramento, California: Early 2027
- Memphis, Tennessee: Date TBD
- Berkeley, California: Date TBD
- Portage, Michigan: Date TBD
- Raleigh, North Carolina: Date TBD
- Covington, Washington: Date TBD
- Silverdale, Washington: Date TBD
- Lynnwood, Washington: Date TBD
- Edison, New Jersey: Date TBD
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However, Red Robin may close up to 70 locations.
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Red Robin held its grand opening in Seattle back in 1969. Famous for its juicy burgers and bottomless steak fries, the chain today has 498 restaurants, 407 of which are company-owned and 91 operated by franchisees, reports USA Today. However, mounting debt may force the company to close up to 70 "underperforming" locations.
For 2024, Red Robin reported $1.25 billion in total revenue, a decrease of $54.5 million from 2023. Net losses for 2024 totaled $77.5 million, a more than $50 million increase year-over-year.
According to a Feb. 2025 earnings release, "During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2024, the Company closed one restaurant location upon expiration of the lease and is evaluating alternatives for approximately 70 underperforming restaurant locations, including closure upon expiration of the current lease term. The Company recognized asset impairments and net closure charges of $32.4 million during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2024, primarily associated with this review of underperforming restaurants."
USA Today shares that Red Robin's president and CEO, G.J. Hart, said most of these locations will close over the next five years, with 10 to 15 expected to shutter this year. No information on affected locations has been released.
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Denny's is closing up to 178 restaurants.
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Another favorite chain restaurant that's suffering is Denny's, which recently announced plans to close up to 178 locations across the U.S.
As Best Lifepreviously reported, 88 of these locations closed in 2024, while 70 to 90 more will shutter in 2025, greatly reducing their roster of 1,323 U.S. locations.
However, it's not all doom and gloom. "Along with the closures, Denny's plans to open 25 to 40 new restaurants, half of which will be Denny's acquired brand: Keke's Breakfast Cafe. These new locations have not been listed publicly yet," we shared.
