LOWER MACUNGIE TWP., Pa. — Southern chicken finger favorite Raising Cane's could be making its way to Lehigh County soon.
A proposal for the restaurant came before Lower Macungie Township Planning Commission on Tuesday.
- Southern fried-chicken chain Raising Cane's has been proposed to come to the Lehigh Valley
- The location would be at 6216 Hamilton Blvd., next to Movie Tavern in Lower Macungie Township
- The restaurant focuses almost entirely on its chicken fingers and sides of coleslaw, crinkle-cut fries, Texas Toast and signature "Cane's Sauce"
The chain, founded in Louisiana in 1996, has grown significantly in recent years, and may now find a new home at 6216 Hamilton Blvd., next to Movie Tavern in the Trexler Business Center.
The eatery is named after Chief Executive Officer Todd Graves' Labrador retriever.
Applicants are seeking a modification for a plan already approved to build the restaurant with a double drive through at the final remaining site of the Trexler Business Center.
That adds to already-approved Wawa Drive-Thru and First Commonwealth Credit Union locations proposed for the site last year, acting as its last remaining site.
Board members say that construction is expected to begin on the site for the Wawa soon.
It would be the first location for Raising Cane's in the Lehigh Valley, with the next-closest locations are in Philadelphia, New York City and southern Bucks County.
Representatives from Raising Cane's say if all goes well, they expect to start construction by the end of the year, with a projected opening of mid-late summer 2024.
Formal approval by the planning commission was tabled until its June meeting, when other projects, including further progress of the 59-acre walkable Lehigh Valley Town Center project, will be discussed.
The restaurant focuses almost entirely on its chicken fingers and sides of coleslaw, crinkle-cut fries, Texas Toast and signature "Cane's Sauce."
The location will feature a double drive-thru and applicants confirmed that all deliveries would happen during hours the restaurant is closed to not hinder drive thru operations or traffic flow.
