After the Dodgers defeated the Yankees in the World Series, it was almost inevitable that one of their players would make a promotional appearance with the Raising Canes.
In recent years, it has developed into a rite of passage for champions of the sport to show up and work shifts at the Chicken Finger chain. And this week, Dodgers outfielder Quique Hernandez became the latest on a list that also includes Al Horford and Angel Reese. , Jamar Chase, Livy Dunn, Katie Ledecky, and more.
Raising Cane co-founder and CEO Todd Graves, who joined the cast of ABC's “Shark Tank” this season, explains how the combination of restaurants and sports will drive growth. He spoke exclusively to the Post about how it helped him.
Raising Cane's was founded in Baton Rouge in 1996 and made its first foray into sports advertising in 2003 through a deal with the LSU baseball team.
“As soon as I could afford it, I did it, and it was the same with the Saints,” Graves said.
In LSU's case, Graves reasoned that the highest returns could be obtained by purchasing an outfield sponsorship. This is because the ad will get noticed on local news that shows home run highlights.
“It was like $5,000, so we thought we were going to get a cost per impression. We didn't have a lot of advertising money, so we had to scale that,” Graves said.
“We saw the loyalty that comes from supporting LSU, the Saints and the players.”
The idea of having star players work shifts came to him by chance.
Raising Cane tabbed James Harden in 2012 for a store opening outside Oklahoma City, where he was playing at the time.
“And he leans out the drive-thru window and they take a picture and I thought, 'Oh, that's cool,'” Graves said. “If we can serve people or have them do a drive-thru, it's going to humanize them. No one was doing it. We've done it so much and we've done so much We've had success with it, so now you'll see other companies do it too.”
Graves said the idea “really exploded” in 2021 when Snoop Dogg appeared to promote his new album and images of the rapper serving amazing customers in Arkansas went viral.
“We started it with athletes, and people loved seeing sports stars making drinks and serving chicken fingers and having a good time,” Graves said. , which eventually turned into a campaign to celebrate the championship.
Graves said Activation is more than just a transaction, it strives to build lasting relationships with athletes and celebrities, support their philanthropic efforts and maintain communication with them.
Beyond sports teams, Graves and the Raising Canes have played at Manning Passing Academy and tight end colleges, including George Kittle, Greg Olsen, Travis Kelce, and even Cam Jordan and Maxx Crosby's Sac Summit. I have been collaborating with
“These things are great for me because you have a great core relationship. I like spending time with people who are successful in whatever they do, because it's about you. I talk to business people all the time, and it's nice to have people who are different. These athletes are just going for it,” Graves said. “I think the same way. Never be satisfied.”
Graves will lead the Super Bowl parade when the NFL Championship is held in New Orleans in early 2025.
The Raising Canes have extensive partnerships with Dave Portnoy and Barstool Sports, and Graves agrees with the Post's observation that it's rare for a media brand to have the kind of fans that support it like a sports team. did.
“They have a huge fan base and are doing really well,” Graves said.
At most chains of Raising Cane's size, the founders don't have as much responsibility as Graves. Shake Shack founder Danny Meyer remains chairman of the board, and Panda Express founder Andrew Chern still controls the chain's parent company.
Graves has stuck to the same menu at Raising Cane for more than 20 years: sandwiches with chicken fingers and spicy sauce, sides of coleslaw, fries and Texas toast.
Unlike other chain leaders, he refused to add desserts or salads to his dishes.
“I believed from the beginning to just do one thing. Do what you're good at. Do what you want to do in the food industry and execute like crazy,” Graves said. Ta.
He said he was inspired by seeing In-N-Out Burger serve the exact same menu since 1948.
Graves received a “scarred shoulder” when people advised her that she needed to add a salad to counter the “veto vote” of her family's desire to eat healthier.
“From the beginning, I never thought about changing,” he says.
Graves gained even more public attention when he joined the cast of ABC's “Shark Tank,” a long-running reality show in which billionaires compete to invest in business pitches.
“I’ve always been a fan of this show and the Sharks, and I love that it’s competitive and the pitches are less than an hour,” Graves said.
“They contacted me and asked if I wanted to appear. I said, 'No.' 1, It helps promote my business. Secondly, I'm a fan of the show. ” I thought it would be fun to compete and see how I fare against other sharks. ”
