Not many workplace leaders can say they hold the title of C-suite executive, fry cook and cashier. But at Raising Cane's, they certainly do.
All new hires at the beloved fast food restaurant receive in-store training to ensure they understand the ins and outs of the company's mission and values. It's a role they have to earn, and they wear it proudly on their business cards, email signatures and resumes.
Based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Raising Cane's was founded by Todd Graves and Craig Silvey in 1996 after Graves spent years dreaming of a restaurant that only sells chicken fingers.
Graves first presented his business plan in 1994 with the help of his friend Silvey, who was enrolled in a business class at Louisiana State University (LSU) at the time.
The plan earned Silvey the lowest grade in the class as the professor could not be convinced of the potential success of a chicken fingers business. The pair's initial attempts to get a business loan also failed, with banks echoing a similar sentiment.
Graves was undeterred. The Louisiana native chose to travel west to Los Angeles to earn enough money to turn his dream into a reality. After spending some time working in California and Alaska as a boilermaker and commercial fisherman, respectively, he returned to Louisiana with $30,000 ready to invest in his business.
By August 1996, Raising Cane's, affectionately named after Graves' Labrador Retriever with the same name, had its first location near the LSU campus. Two years later, the pair opened their next location nearby, drawing in students and locals alike.
Now, Raising Cane's has more than 1,000 locations worldwide, serving customers throughout all 50 states and internationally in Kuwait, Dubai and Mexico.
So, what's made Raising Cane's so successful over the years? JD Cummings, the company's senior vice president of recruiting, says its the people.
"We're not the only restaurant out there selling chicken fingers. Nearly every restaurant out there has some sort of fried chicken product," Cummings says. "So the culture and the experience that our customers feel when they walk in the door is a big part of our success."
And that culture starts with how Raising Cane's treats its own.
"[It's about] recognition, reward and respect — focusing on how we respect and treat our people, and making sure that we reward them and recognize them for doing hard work," he says.
Cummings says this treatment is critical to what makes Raising Cane's the brand customers know and love today. That's why they created a program called Cane's Love, giving a budget to local leaders to find unique and creative ways to honor the hard work of their crewmembers. While some teams exchange handwritten notes and cards, others throw celebratory parties to reward a job well done.
This dedication to supporting each other makes it easy to see why Raising Cane's was named one of USA TODAY's top workplaces for the fourth consecutive year.
For the Cane's team, it's all about paying it forward — treating crewmembers with the kindness and dignity they want their customers to experience too.
"We know that if we take care of all the crew members and leaders in our business, that they will in turn take care of our customers and our communities," Cummings says.
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Each year, USA TODAY Top Workplaces, a collaboration between Energage and USA TODAY, ranks organizations across the U.S. that excel at creating a positive work environment for their employees. Employee feedback determines the winners.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: At Raising Cane's, it's all about recognition, reward and respect
