Opening day today for the Dayton area’s 1st Raising Cane’s restaurant

Today is opening day for Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers' first Dayton-area location  at 1136 Miamisburg-Centerville Road in Washington Twp., the latest in a wave of new chicken restaurants across the region.

Raising Cane's joins an increasingly competitive chicken-restaurant market, with most of the recent growth focused on Dayton's south suburbs. Chick-fil-A has opened new locations in Kettering and the Cornerstone of Centerville center, and last year completed a $1 million makeover of its Washington Twp. restaurant. Locally based startup Mike's Nashville Hot opened its first two restaurants in Austin Landing in Miami Twp. and on Ohio 48 in Washington Twp. And other chains such as Popeye's Louisiana Kitchen and Church's Chicken have announced plans to add locations across the region.

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At the new Raising Cane’s, the first person in line when the restaurant opens at 10:30 a.m. today, June 28, will receive “Free Cane’s for a year,” in the form of a gift card good for one free “Box Combo” each week for 52 weeks and a $35 gift basket, a spokeswoman for Raising Cane’s Dayton-area franchisee said. Customers started lining up early in the week.

Bob Daniels of Beavercreek was the first in line on Tuesday evening. Sitting in a tent, Daniels said he got in line at 9 a.m. Tuesday.

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Customers who come in during today’s grand opening Day will receive a “Raising Cane's Limited-Edition BBQ Spatula,” while supplies last, according to Andria Morgan, marketing manager for RCO Limited, Raising Cane’s Dayton-area franchisee.

Other prizes and festivities include tickets to see a Columbus Crew soccer match for the first 10 people in line, and a live, on-site broadcast from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. from K99.1FM.

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The site of the new restaurant in Washington Twp. most recently housed a Golden Dragon Buffet & Grill, and, before that, a Ryan’s Steakhouse. The former restaurant structure was demolished to pave the way for construction of the new Raising Cane’s.

The Ohio 725 restaurant will seat 92 inside and will employ 45 to 65, Morgan has said.

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Baton Rouge, Louisiana-based Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers operates multiple restaurants in the Columbus and Cincinnati areas, and opened a restaurant in Fairfield in October 2016. Plans call for adding more Dayton-area locations, Morgan has said. Plans for a potential Beavercreek location are pending, according to city and restaurant officials.

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The Raising Cane's chain prides itself on a limited menu and a simple concept, focused on chicken fingers, made "fresh, never frozen," marinated for 24 hours, then battered and cooked to order. Also featured on the menu are crinkle-cut fries, cole slaw, Texas Toast and sauces that are made in-house each day.

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