SPOKANE, Wash. – Residents of the Inland Northwest learned Monday that Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers will be opening up a location on Newport Highway, and while many are excited, some are worried about what this will mean for traffic.
Raising Cane’s is set to be built on the site of a former Burger King and it is across the street from other chains such as McDonalds, Chik-Fil-A and Starbucks.
Across the U.S., when a new Raising Cane’s is built, lots of people go to enjoy some of the popular items. But, with that large turnout, traffic issues are likely to follow.
In Spokane in 2020, when the Chick-Fil-A was built on Newport Highway, right across the street from where Raising Cane’s will be, there was a traffic mess throughout the area.
“There’s been accidents near Chick-Fil-A… Adding to the already congested area is just going to cause more headaches for the locals that live down there. And, it’s just going to be a big mess,” Brendan Murphy, a Spokane native who used to live near the site, said.
Jason Zwerin, the Vice President of Company Restaurants for Raising Cane’s, told NonStop Local that they are aware of the traffic concerns. But, they have a strategy to deal with the backups.
“We work very closely with the city officials [and] local police departments. We actually have our own department within Canes, our safety department, and we do our best to make sure we put together a plan that’s going to be conducive to convenience for our customers, as well as, also, the safety of the neighborhood,” Zwerin said.
Part of the construction plan includes a drive-through and a patio.
This will be the beloved fast-food restaurant’s first location in the Spokane-Coeur d’Alene region.
“It’s such a great community. We really do well next to universities… so, we are excited to get up there in the Pacific Northwest. We have some great growth plans over the next couple years in Washington specifically,” Zwerin said.
Construction on the Raising Cane’s is anticipated to be completed by Fall 2025.
