Over the last few months, UK high streets have been taken over by fast food chains from the US – with Popeyes, Dave’s Hot Chicken, and Chick-fil-A all setting up shop.
And the trend isn’t slowing down any time soon, as another top chain has confirmed it’s heading across the pond.
Yes, folks. Raising Cane’s is finally going to be opening in the UK
But there is a bit of a catch – you’ll have to wait a little while longer to try it here.
Here’s everything you need to know…
When is Raising Cane’s opening in the UK?
The fast food chain, known for its chicken fingers, first confirmed in September 2025 that a UK flagship location was in the works.
And we just got one step closer to the launch, as Raising Cane’s branding has been put up around the new site, which can be found between Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square.
Currently, no official opening date has been set for the restaurant, but we know it’s going to be at some point ‘later’ this year and that it’ll be located at 21-22 Coventry Street in London.
This opening will mark the beginning of a global expansion, with more restaurants planned for the capital and Europe in the months that follow.
Other potential locations the brand is eyeing up include The Strand, Oxford Circus, Paddington, and South Bank, as well as Drive-Thru locations in Greater London and beyond.
If you haven’t heard of the chain before, I’m sorry to tell you that you might have been living under a rock.
It’s garnered a massive fanbase in the US, with five million followers on social media and customers queuing out of the door at restaurants – some willing to wait up to an hour to get their hands on chicken fingers and slabs of Texas Toast.
Even celebs can’t get enough of the food, with Cynthia Erivo, Post Malone, Halle Berry, Travis Kelce, and Snoop Dogg all thought to be big fans of the chain.
What’s on the menu at Raising Cane’s?
The menu is pretty straightforward, with five core items to order.
These include Crispy Chicken Fingers, Craveable Cane’s Sauce, Buttery Cane’s Toast, Crunchy Coleslaw, and Crispy crinkle-cut fries.
One of the things that has helped the chain go viral is the fact that you can get an entire cup of sauce, instead of just a small dipping pot. In the US, this costs around $7, and customers go wild for it.
However, they won’t be the first fast food chain to sell this in the UK, as Popeyes cheekily beat them to it, launching ‘mega’ dips in December 2025.
What do customers think of the food?
In posts on Reddit, the food at Raising Cane’s has received mixed reviews, with some hailing it as ‘spectacular’ and ‘divine’ (with honourable mentions for the toast and sauce).
Others praise the chicken fingers, which are ‘done right’ and ‘good quality’.
On TikTok, @matthewhaywoodx branded the food ‘unreal’ and said the meal ‘definitely didn’t disappoint’ and it was ‘the best chicken he’d ever had’.
Similarly, @daisygoord gave it a 10/10 after trying it in New York, saying it was ‘so crispy and not greasy’.
However, as taste is subjective, some think the products are ‘mid’ and ‘bland’.
Guess we’ll have to wait and see closer to the time whether the chain lives up to the hype.
Raising Cane’s has been serving up its core items since 1996, when owner and founder Todd Graves launched the business in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Todd set out to make a chicken-finger-focused concept a reality and raised the money to make his dream a reality.
He built the first restaurant by hand and opened the doors for the first time on August 28, 1996.
There are now more than 950 Raising Cane’s restaurants across the US and the Middle East, and Todd is thrilled to be bringing the brand to the UK.
He said: ‘I’m thrilled to finally be opening in the UK late next year. We receive more requests to come to the UK than anywhere else in the world, so I started looking at real estate with the team a few years ago and began identifying top locations to open Raising Cane’s across London and the UK.
‘It has always been a dream of mine to bring Cane’s to the UK, and I’m excited to officially kick off this growth with the opening of our UK flagship. London is one of my favorite places, and I’ve always enjoyed visiting with my family.’
Are you excited for Raising Cane’s to launch in the UK?
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Raising Cane’s co-CEO and COO AJ Kumaran added: ‘Bringing Raising Cane’s to the UK has been a dream of ours for many years, and we’re excited to officially open the doors to our UK flagship.
‘We love the vibrant and eclectic atmosphere of Piccadilly Circus and are looking forward to marking this milestone with a flagship in the heart of London.
‘With more than 950 restaurants across the US and the Middle East, Europe presents an excellent expansion opportunity as we embark on this next phase of growth, and we’re excited to begin that growth with the UK.’
This article was first published on September 4, 2025.
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