We ate at dozens of fast-food chains in 2017 - here's the best
Hollis Johnson
- Raising Cane's is Business Insider's top restaurant chain of 2017.
- The chain is one of the fastest-growing in the US.
- It was also one of the culinary highlights of our taste-testers' year.
In a year packed with fast food, one chain rose above the rest.
I spent 2017 feasting upon fast food for both business and pleasure. There were many highs (Waffle House's steak melt!) and lows (Starbucks' Unicorn Frappuccino).
But, of all the chains I ate at, one rose above the rest: Raising Cane's.
Hollis Johnson
Raising Cane's is a chicken-finger chain known for its Texas toast and simple menu. In 2016, it was the fastest growing chain in the US, increasing sales by a whopping 25.9%.
With only 310 locations, the chain is still small compared with the competition. But, it's growing rapidly, opening 59 new restaurants in the past year.
I visited Raising Cane's for the first time ever this year, and I saw why the chain was having such remarkable success.
Hollis Johnson
It has a remarkably simple menu - just four options, plus a kid's combo. Basically, customers only have to pick how many chicken fingers they want, and whether they want them sandwiched between bread or not.
However, by focusing exclusively on chicken fingers, Raising Cane's is able to perfect the form in a way few competitors can even dream of. They're crispy yet light, perfectly juicy, and tender.
I was also taken by the Texas toast - the perfectly crisp, warm buttery carb of my dreams.
Hollis Johnson
At the time, Hollis Johnson and I reviewed the chain by saying: "The quality of Raising Cane's chicken fingers raises the bar for all chicken chains. As the up-and-coming chain continues to advance, rivals like KFC and Chick-fil-A should be scared."
In the months filled with mediocre fried chicken since, I've only become more convinced of that fact. Raising Cane's was a culinary standout in 2017 - and, with its rapid expansion and strategically simplistic menu, it's in a prime position for business to explode in years to come.
The Future of Retail 2018 by the BI Intelligence Research Team.
Get the Slide Deck Now »
- US buys 81 Soviet-era combat aircraft from Russia's ally costing on average less than $20,000 each, report says
- 2 states where home prices are falling because there are too many houses and not enough buyers
- A couple accidentally shipped their cat in an Amazon return package. It arrived safely 6 days later, hundreds of miles away.
- 9 health benefits of drinking sugarcane juice in summer
- 10 benefits of incorporating almond oil into your daily diet
- From heart health to detoxification: 10 reasons to eat beetroot
- Why did a NASA spacecraft suddenly start talking gibberish after more than 45 years of operation? What fixed it?
- ICICI Bank shares climb nearly 5% after Q4 earnings; mcap soars by ₹36,555.4 crore
- Nothing Phone (2a) blue edition launched
- JNK India IPO allotment date
- JioCinema New Plans
- Realme Narzo 70 Launched
- Apple Let Loose event
- Elon Musk Apology
- RIL cash flows
- Charlie Munger
- Feedbank IPO allotment
- Tata IPO allotment
- Most generous retirement plans
- Broadcom lays off
- Cibil Score vs Cibil Report
- Birla and Bajaj in top Richest
- Nestle Sept 2023 report
- India Equity Market