Is This Raising Cane’s Real Secret Sauce?

Several years ago, my daughter asked me to take her to Raising Canes, which at the time was relatively new to our market but apparently famous for their chicken fingers. They couldn’t be famous for anything else because that’s all they serve. If you’re not familiar, their customers get to choose from the 3 Finger Combo (three fingers), Box Combo (four fingers) or Caniac Combo (six fingers). Or, those feeling especially adventurous can have three fingers put on a bun, known as the Sandwich Combo. Oh, and the combos come with fries, coleslaw and Texas Toast. That’s the menu.

I ordered a Box combo and asked for barbeque sauce with it. I was promptly told that there was no barbeque sauce available, so I asked for hot or Buffalo sauce instead. That was also not available. Teetering somewhere between disappointment and disgust, I asked what was available and was given just one option – Cane’s Sauce. I didn’t want Cane’s sauce. I wasn’t even sure what it was but it looked creamy and that’s a hard pass for me.

I ended up dipping both my fries and the chicken fingers in ketchup, which was fine – and my daughter enjoyed herself and her meal, which was the most important thing to me. But it left a negative impression. How could they assume everyone wants that one sauce? Arrogant bastards.

Other than picking at my daughter’s subsequent meals over the years, I haven’t eaten it since. But like many other trends, I’m apparently the outlier here as Raising Cane’s has absolutely blown up since. When I pass one it’s not unusual to see drive-thru lines 20 or more cars deep.

Here’s another thing that’s blown up over the last few years – mental health disorders, specifically anxiety, amongst our teen and young adult populations. Dubbed The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt, those experiencing adolescence in the early 2010’s also experienced sharp increases in depression, anxiety, self-harm and suicide.

I became aware of the Paradox of Choice about 20 years ago. If you’re not familiar, the basic concept is that often times the more options we have make us less satisfied with our eventual choice. Its cousin is menu anxiety, which is the stress and uncertainty people experience when deciding what to order from a menu. It’s one of those challenges our youth are facing in rising numbers. Together, the two form a more powerful duo than Deadpool and Wolverine.

And who eats at fast-food restaurants more than anyone? Young people. Over 50% of Millennials report eating fast food a few times a week – with over 20% consuming it daily. Gen Z eats it even more frequently.

Raising Cane’s isn’t just serving chicken fingers with fewer sauce options than a school cafeteria, they’re providing a sanctuary for millions of hungry people who don’t want to have to decide what to order. And it’s working. In 2013, there were around 150 locations – in 2024, they surpassed 800. Their average restaurant generates approximately $5.4 million in annual revenue.

How does that compare to other fast-food restaurants? Specifically, those that take the opposite approach and offer ever-changing, expansive menus? The average McDonald’s restaurant generates approximately $2.7 million in annual revenue. And Burger King, who has advertised nine different menu items on the television in front of me in the time it took to write this, averages $1.5 million in annual revenue at their restaurants. Have it your way? Seems the exact opposite of what their largest consumer market is looking for.

The annual revenue for my favorite fast-food restaurant, In-N-Out Burger isn’t publicly disclosed, but it’s estimated that some of their restaurants achieve annual revenues above $10 million. If the average revenue at Raising Cane’s is over $5 million, this may be a pretty decent comparison. What’s the other similarity between the two? In-N-Out Burger has a famously limited menu as well.

Both Raising Canes and In-N-Out recognize their limited menus contribute to their bottom line, through the consistency in product quality they can achieve, efficiency of operations and speed of staff training. And certainly, those are factors. But is that what’s driving their success, or is it their cure to menu anxiety? Efficiency is great once you have demand, but without the demand there’s nothing to streamline.

A cheeseburger from In-N-Out Burger is delicious, but I’ve never thought twice about what I’m going to order there. How much has that contributed to my satisfaction? There are several items on the McDonald’s menu I may consider – McNuggets, cheeseburgers, Big Mac, or McRib when in season. And when I feel awful a few hours after eating, is it from the ingredients? Or is it from the second guessing I may be doing, consciously or unconsciously, about what I didn’t order? And I’m not a young person dealing with an anxiety disorder. 

Don’t even get me started on the Cheesecake Factory, which has over 250 items on the menu. But the next time you pass one, look in the window and see if you notice anyone eating there who doesn’t have an AARP card.

Is there a lesson here that applies beyond fast-food to anyone wanting to target younger consumers with a product or service? Soon these groups and those that follow will be the majority. Maybe they just love chicken fingers. Or maybe their menu anxiety really is strong enough to steer their consumer (or digestive) behavior. Either way, I cringe at thinking about them having to eventually choose a Medicare plan.

Note: I hear Cane’s has a hot sauce option now. You’re welcome.