Raising Cane’s looks to raise Front Range profile with new Boulder restaurant

BOULDER — Not to be outdone by nearby communities Longmont and Fort Collins, both of which are already home to Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers locations, Boulder is now set to play host to the popular Louisiana-born fast-food chain. 

Raising Cane’s, known for its chicken tenders, special sauce and Texas toast, has submitted an application with Boulder planners to build a restaurant at 3033 28th St.

Plans call for a 3,716-square-foot restaurant with “a double lane drive-thru” and “two vehicle access points,” according to a planning memo.

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The Boulder Planning Commission will conduct a use review and public hearing on Raising Cane’s proposal on Thursday.

The new Raising Cane’s, which would be adjacent to the popular Rayback Collective food hall, is set to combine two lots that are home to Ali Baba Grill along with a shuttered Taco Bell and drive-through liquor store. 

Due to their popularity and relative novelty in Colorado, traffic snags have occurred in areas where other new Raising Cane’s restaurants have opened. The company told Boulder planners that its proposal for 28th Street will not negatively impact the neighborhood.

“Given the site’s history as a drive-thru use, its location within the city and the high-intensity regional commercial character of the surrounding area, the proposal to continue drive-thru operations with standard hours of operation and sufficient parking to the subject site will be compatible with and have minimal negative impact on the use of surrounding properties,” the company said in a memo. 

The proposed drive-through lanes will direct traffic along the site’s southern and eastern edge.

In addition to the drive-throughs and the restaurant building, Raising Canes is proposing a roughly 600-square-foot patio for diners. 

“The Rayback Collective is a very successful and unique operation featuring a very large patio area, multiple food trucks every day, beverage services, and routine events at all times of day. Raising Cane’s outdoor patio … will have minimal to no impact on the residential community to the west as a result of Rayback’s presence,” the planning memo said.