Raising Cane’s has dreams of becoming a 1,600-unit brand, and the U.K. will be part of that journey.

The chicken chain announced that it will open a flagship restaurant in London’s West End in 2026, marking its first step into Europe. The store will be themed around classic mid-20th century commercial architecture and targeted toward tourists, theater-goers, and other customers, located in what is described as “one of London’s busiest intersections,” according to a news release. This upcoming outlet will join Raising Cane’s other flagships in Nashville, Miami, New York City, Chicago, and Las Vegas.

After this debut, several more are planned around the city, in addition to drive-thru restaurants in the greater market area.

Raising Cane’s founder Todd Graves said the brand receives more requests to come to the U.K. than anywhere else in the world. In response, he began working with his real estate team a few years ago to identify top locations around London and the U.K.

“It has always been a dream of mine to bring Cane’s to the UK and I’m excited to officially kick off this growth with the opening of our UK Flagship. London is one of my favorite places and I’ve always enjoyed visiting with my family,” Graves said in a statement.

Growth in the country will be supported by a president of Raising Cane’s U.K., who will oversee business operations in the market and a locally based Support Center in London. The chicken chain plans to create more than 700 jobs within the first year of entering the trade area.

“Bringing Raising Cane’s to the UK has been a dream of ours for many years and we’re excited to officially open the doors to our UK Flagship late next year. We love the vibrant and eclectic atmosphere of Piccadilly Circus and are looking forward to marking this milestone with a Flagship in the Heart of London,” co-CEO and COO AJ Kumaran said in a statement. “Within the US, we’re continuing to make significant investments in our Crew and Restaurants to fuel future growth and are looking forward to continuing to expand across the States as well as international markets like the UK”

Raising Cane’s, with around 950 stores in the U.S. and Middle East, opened a record 100 restaurants last year. It plans to reach the same amount in 2025. In addition to 1,600 units, the company eyes $8 million AUV and $10 billion in annual sales. The brand is quickly tracking toward those goals, with $6.6 million AUV and $5.1 billion in annual sales last year.

Domestically, the company’s Restaurant Support Office will quadruple in size as it moves to a new campus in Plano, Texas. The facility will have the capacity to hold thousands of employees, including new conference rooms and office spaces. Raising Cane’s currently has 650 workers out of its Dallas-area office.

Raising Cane’s ranked as the 16-biggest brand in this year’s QSR 50, which ranks quick-service restaurants by U.S. systemwide sales. The fast casual earned $4.96 billion in U.S. sales and finished with 828 units stateside in 2024. Among chicken chains, it is the third-biggest in America, behind Chick-fil-A and Popeyes.

SOURCE: QSR News