More than 120 people—including some who had waited outside all night—were in line to be the first customers of Raising Cane’s, which opened on the corner of Route 1 and Knox Road at 9 a.m. on Dec. 9.

The fast-growing, fast-casual chicken chain, which has more than 900 locations nationwide, opened this site as part of its expansion in the DMV, according to Regional Manager Malcolm O’Quinn.

“Most people come for our quality chicken finger meals, and college students want a place where they can hang out, hear good music and enjoy great food,” O’Quinn said.

The College Park location is the first Cane’s in the area—the nearest ones are in the District, Bowie and Forestville. Known for its chicken fingers, signature sauce and Texas toast, the chain often targets college towns because of their large student populations.

Cane’s has a bare-bones menu centered around chicken finger combos. The best-selling item is the Box Combo: four chicken fingers, fries, coleslaw, Texas toast and Cane’s sauce.

“That one comes with everything we sell, and it’s just enough of a portion to get you full,” O’Quinn said.

Inside the College Park restaurant, customers will see spinning disco balls, modern light fixtures, LED signs, casually dressed employees, and memorabilia celebrating the University of Maryland (UMD) and College Park.

“We embody our own culture,” O’Quinn said. “We work hard, fast, friendly, clean. We have fun, and we serve our perfect box.”

Early customers said they came to try the new location. Some even ordered online ahead to avoid waiting at the counter.

“If I see a line out the door, I’m not entering the building,” said high school student Christopher Cabanas, from the District.

Customers can order online through Cane’s or via third-party apps like DoorDash or Uber Eats.

“It’s top tier,” Cabanas said. “It’s better than Chick-fil-A. The sauce just tops it off.”

Cabanas said Cane’s is one of his top three favorite fast-food restaurants.

Katerin Machuca, a UMD operations-management and business-analytics major, said she always orders the three-finger combo and believes Cane’s stands out among fast-food chicken restaurants.

“I love Cane’s and we finally have one closer. I’m so happy,” she said.

To mark the grand opening, the restaurant held a “Lucky 20” raffle for the first 100 customers in line, who had a chance to win free Cane’s for a year.

O’Quinn said the restaurant plans to host events in the future and partner with local organizations for entertainment.

In August 2024, the company announced the College Park location was in development. O’Quinn attributed the delay in opening to extended construction and the time required to install the personalized memorabilia.

The restaurant, which will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. Sunday through Thursday, and until 3 a.m. Friday and Saturday, can seat up to 50 people comfortably. O’Quinn said he expects high demand from students during lunch hours and late at night on weekends.

“Come to Cane’s,” Cabanas said.