Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers is set for a Dinkytown expansion.
The franchise will take over the former spot of ProCuts at 302 15th Ave SE — next to D.P. Dough — barring the approval of final inspections and construction permits.
Kerry Kramp, current owner of the Stadium Village location, is hoping to open the new store by early April.
“It’s going to be a really beautiful restaurant and a cool addition to the neighborhood,” Kramp said.
Raising Cane’s new location is planning to have weekend late-night hours, staying open until 2 a.m. on Thursdays and 3 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, according to the pending restaurant’s food license application.
The new location will come to Dinkytown with one of Raising Cane’s newer restaurant designs. The restaurant will include wood finishes in its lobby, along with other new features. Construction inside the vacant space has already begun.
The franchise expansion was a response to the business of the Stadium Village location, Kramp said.
“We weren’t able to serve the customers the way that we thought they deserved to be treated,” he said. “We wanted to make sure the customer experience could be brought back to what it was a couple years ago before we got super crazy busy.”
Raising Cane’s isn’t concerned about its future location’s late-night competition, Kramp said.
“We’re a pretty unique brand by only serving chicken fingers,” he said.
And the feeling is mutual among one neighboring business.
Daniel Ringgenberg, owner of Burrigato, said he thinks the addition of the popular chain would be good for business, adding that it will attract a variety of customers to the block.
When Burrigato first moved into its location along 15th Avenue Southeast in April, Ringgenberg said ProCuts, CVS Pharmacy and Baldy’s BBQ had all closed their neighboring spaces.
With the recent opening of Ichiddo Ramen & BBQ and future addition of Raising Cane’s, Ringgenberg hopes the block will become a food destination for patrons.
“It’s filling Dinkytown up with more options. Before, Stadium Village was better with diversity of food,” Ringgenberg said.
The Minneapolis Health Department review of the new Raising Cane’s location is complete, pending a final inspection.
When all construction permits are approved and the department does its final inspection, the license will be issued, said Craig Eliason, district supervisor for licenses and consumer services for the City of Minneapolis, in an email.
