Raising Cane’s Faces Eviction Over Chicken Odor
From flyering to litigation, Raising Cane’s is in a serious situation. The beloved chicken finger chain claims its landlord is threatening eviction from one of its Boston locations due to what they describe as an “obnoxious” smell permeating the building.
The growing company filed a lawsuit against 755 Boylston LLC on January 23, alleging that the landlord has concocted an “outrageous plan” to push them out, according to documents from the court.
The landlord asserts that the restaurant breached its lease, citing the building’s overwhelming “offensive” chicken finger aroma.
In response, Raising Cane’s is asking a judge to decide if they’ve done enough to manage food odors from their space.
The lease, signed in March 2021 and updated in November 2022 to last until at least 2037, stipulates that the restaurant must make “all reasonable efforts” to mitigate odors and noise. However, the chain contends that the agreement doesn’t obligate them to completely eliminate all chicken smells and mentions spending significant money—about $230,000—on measures to minimize odors, including $34,000 specifically for exhaust cleaning and sealing vents.
“Despite these efforts, the complaints about the restaurant smelling like chicken fingers persist,” the lawsuit states.
Additionally, the chain claims the landlord is negotiating with another restaurant, potentially breaching an exclusivity clause that restricts other eateries from selling deboned chicken in the area without Raising Cane’s consent. The landlord allegedly intends to lease a neighboring space to Panda Express by August 2025, which Cane’s argues violates their agreement.
Efforts to have Raising Cane relinquish these exclusive rights have been met with refusal from the restaurant.
As tensions rose, Raising Cane’s reached out to the landlord on January 8, emphasizing they had paid their due rent despite facing unreasonable demands regarding the smell.
The situation escalated when the landlord filed a notice to terminate the lease, claiming the restaurant emitted a “nuisance” odor.
A spokesperson for Raising Cane’s expressed the company’s desire to resolve the matter amicably, stating, “We’re chicken finger fanatics. Litigation isn’t really what we do. It’s unfortunate to find ourselves in this position when a resolution wasn’t reached.”
Founded in 1996 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Raising Cane’s has developed a brand centered around high-quality chicken fingers and has expanded to over 800 locations across 44 states.
In 2024, the chain opened 118 new restaurants and enjoyed what it described as a “record year of growth.” Looking ahead, they plan to open nearly 100 new locations in 2026, including areas near Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium and Seattle’s University of Washington.
A representative stated, “We have around 300 restaurants in various development stages and operate more than 1,600 restaurants, continuously looking for new locations globally to achieve our goal of becoming a top 10 U.S. restaurant brand.”
