Lake County's first Raising Cane's to open in Gurnee Oct. 25

Lake County residents and fast food chicken fans can start counting down the days until the new Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers opens at the strip mall anchored by the Menard's at Grand Avenue just south of Gurnee Mills.

Ellen Dean, the village's economic development director, said Raising Cane's has scheduled a ribbon-cutting ceremony for Monday, Oct. 25.

The construction work on the property is done, and Raising Cane's management will begin training employees soon, Dean said.

In November, the village board approved the restaurant chain's plan to purchase and demolish the old Boston Market restaurant near the Grand Avenue entrance to Menard's and build a new 3,340-square-foot building at 6415 Grand Ave. with two drive-through lanes.

Under the plan, the second lane would be used only at peak times and would function as a bailout lane otherwise. Employees with iPads will roam the drive-through area to help customers with their orders, according to village documents.

Raising Cane's is a quick-service national chain known for serving chicken fingers, crinkle-cut fries, coleslaw and Texas toast. The chain was founded in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in 1996 and has more than 500 locations across the country.

The Gurnee location will be the first in Lake County and the 19th in the Chicago area for the chain. Two new suburban locations were established this year, one in Bloomingdale on April 27 and another in Arlington Heights on Oct. 5.