Tuscaloosa's First Standalone Raising Cane's to Open on McFarland

Tuscaloosa's first standalone Raising Cane's has an official opening date, and it's only weeks away.

As the Thread first reported in October 2025, the Louisiana-based chicken chain has been building a new restaurant on a redeveloped corner of McFarland and 13th Street that previously housed the now-relocated Made in Mexico, military recruiting centers, and a closed Wing Zone.

On Thursday, Cane's confirmed that the new location will open in a matter of weeks on Monday, August 24.

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The Tuscaloosa opening is part of a seven-restaurant nationwide expansion Cane's is rolling out in August as the brand celebrates its 30th anniversary.

Founder Todd Graves opened the first Raising Cane's near the gates of LSU in Baton Rouge in 1996 after working 90-hour weeks as a boilermaker in California and commercial fishing in Alaska to save up the startup funds.

Cane's has grown to more than 900 locations since and has been one of the fastest-growing restaurant brands in the country, surpassing KFC in annual U.S. sales last year to become the third-largest chicken chain in America behind only Chick-fil-A and Popeyes.

The chain focuses exclusively on chicken fingers, crinkle-cut fries, coleslaw, Texas toast and its signature Cane's Sauce.

Tuscaloosa has had a Cane's location inside Paty Hall on the University of Alabama campus for more than a decade, but the McFarland location will be the brand's first standalone restaurant in the city.

A grand opening celebration is expected and additional details will be announced in the coming weeks.

For more exclusive coverage of restaurant and retail news in West Alabama, stay connected to the Tuscaloosa Thread.