Will Idaho get its first Raising Cane's? Here's where the plans stand

Originally published April 19 on KTVB.COM .

North Eagle Road, near the Village of Meridian, continues to attract big-name businesses.

The popular fast-food restaurant known for its chicken fingers, crinkle-cut fries and Texas toast now wants a spot.

Raising Cane's filed pre-application documents with the city of Meridian earlier this month. They want to build a new restaurant and two-lane drive-thru about a quarter mile away from The Village.

The 2700 N. Eagle Road property sits near Trader Joe's. It has sat empty for several years after a residential home came down, Caleb Hood, deputy director of community development for the city, said.

“It’s highly sought after," Hood said about the area near The Village. "There are a lot of vehicles and people that are moving to and from and through.”

The city still has to consider a zoning modification and traffic impact before approving the drive-thru.

That most likely won’t happen for several months, Hood said.

In an email to KTVB, Cane's said they hope to start construction work in the spring of 2025 and open by the end of that year.

Hood thinks that timeline is possible.

Although the project hasn’t been approved just yet, some Idahoans are ready.

“I love it," Eric Ryan, a community member, said. "I’m excited. I think that it’s one of those places where when you travel to other cities, it’s kind of a landmark that you go to.”

His thoughts on the chicken? “It’s a 10,” he said.

One woman, originally from Ohio, said she's "very excited" for Cane's to make an Idaho debut.

“We love it," Amy James said. "We love the chicken, we love the sauce."

She loves it so much that she’ll seek it out on vacation.

“We actually went on vacation to Hawaii last summer, and they had a Raising Cane's," she said. "And we ate at Raising Cane's ... because we don’t have one here."

For those concerned a Cane's addition might cause more traffic in the area, the city is keeping that in mind.

“I get it," Hood said. "Eagle Road is a regional corridor - it’s a state highway. So, there are high volumes. We’ll work to identify appropriate mitigation if in fact Raising Cane's decides to move forward.”

Other popular fast-food spots have opened in Meridian recently, including In-N-Out in December, Wienerschnitzel in March and Jersey Mike's Subs on April 17.

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