The wait is almost over for the debut of two new Raising Cane's Chicken Tenders locations in Jacksonville as the nationwide quick-service restaurant chain continues its Florida expansion.
Preparations are nearing the final stage for the new restaurants at 10989 San Jose Blvd. in the Walmart-anchored Mandarin Corners shopping center, and at 4863 Gate Parkway in The Markets at Town Center on the Southside.
Hundreds of hungry customers turned out when the popular Baton Rouge-based chain debuted its first Jacksonville restaurant at 8308 Merchants Way in Oakleaf Station on July 15, 2025.
Raising Cane’s is known for its small, focused menu of hand-battered, cooked-to-order fried chicken fingers and signature Cane’s sauce — a secret recipe known only
to its managers. Its combo meals — available with two, three, four, or six chicken fingers — come with crinkle-cut fries, Texas toast, and coleslaw made in-house daily. A chicken sandwich — made with three chicken fingers — is also available.
Social media is abuzz with speculation about when the Mandarin and Southside restaurants will open. Both took over former Pollo Tropical sites.
When is Raising Cane's aiming to open its new Jacksonville restaurants?
Pollo Tropical vacated the spots when the Miami-based chain abruptly closed its last three Jacksonville locations in February 2025.
A Raising Cane's representative told the Times-Union that the specific opening dates haven't been finalized, but both new locations are getting close.
Built from the ground up, the Mandarin Corners restaurant is slated to open in early 2027.
The old Pollo Tropical was torn down to clear the way for the planned 2,770-square-foot Raising Cane's near the main entrance to the shopping center. Demolition of the old building was estimated at $50,000, according to a June 2 city building permit.
Estimated at $1.65 million, construction of the new restaurant included a drive-thru, outdoor patio seating, free-standing drive-thru canopy, and dumpster enclosure, a May 29 building permit showed.
On the Southside, Raising Cane's plans to open a nearly 3,000-square-foot restaurant "in late November or early December" at The Markets at Town Center, the representative said.
The restaurant will have an outdoor covered patio with a seating area, a drive-thru lane and a drive-thru canopy.
There, Raising Cane's is renovating the former Pollo Tropical restaurant, which is next door to competitor Zaxbys. That buildout is estimated at $1.65 million, according to a May 20 city building permit.
Potential 4th Jacksonville site?
Raising Cane's has been exploring a potential fourth location at 9501 Arlington Expressway on an outparcel at the former Regency Square Mall property, according to a JEA service availability request.
A Raising Cane's representative previously told the Times-Union that the restaurant chain is looking at the Regency site, "but cannot confirm anything at this time."
The availability request showed a proposed 2,786-square-foot restaurant with 75 seats and a two-lane drive-thru on the east side of the mall’s main entrance off Atlantic Boulevard.
Founded in 1996, Raising Cane's is one of the fastest-growing restaurant brands in the nation. It has more than 1,000 restaurants in 43 states, according to the company's LinkedIn profile.
Teresa Stepzinski is the dining reporter for the Times-Union. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @TeresaStepz or reach her via email at tstepzinski@jacksonville.com.
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This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: 2 more Raising Cane's near completion. Here's when they could open
