Two Chickens in a Coop

A new Raising Cane’s location sparks debate between Chick-Fil-A lovers and Raising Cane’s fans

As many now know, a new Raising Cane’s establishment opened on Mar. 2 on Western Avenue. While this is great news for Raising Cane’s lovers, it has sparked debate about what is the most popular chicken among Sea Kings.

 Chick-Fil-A and Raising Cane’s share similarities with their most popular food being chicken. Raising Cane’s famous meal is their fried chicken served with fries and a piece of Texas toast. 

“The toast is definitely my favorite part of my meal when I go there. It is a very unusual mix to eat toast with your chicken, but it is a really good combination when you get to taste it,” senior Will Engstrom said.

Engstrom truly is committed to the toast. He makes the long commute to Long Beach for his chicken, but he will not have to do that anymore. 

“I couldn’t be more excited that there is one in the South Bay,” Engstrom said.

With the recent grand opening, Engstrom and other Raising Cane’s lovers will be able to enjoy their favorite chicken more often. 

On Grand Opening Day, the line for Raising Cane’s was about an hour-long wait for the drive-thru.

“When I would make these long commutes, I don’t go as often as I would like to. I would probably only go once every two months. With this new Raising Cane’s open I will definitely be making this a weekly trip,” Engstom said. 

The Raising Cane’s on Western Avenue is fairly close to the Chick-Fil-A on Hawthorne Boulevard, leaving people wondering “will Raising Cane’s take away some of Chick-Fil-A’s business?”

“Oh absolutely. I think Chick-Fil-A and Raising Canes are very loved, but Raising Cane’s comes with a chicken that is more of a country style that I think people enjoy eating more. It seems more traditional to eat chicken the way Cane’s does it,” Engstrom said.

On the other hand, devout Chick-Fil-A lovers have a different opinion.

“Did you know that the name Chick-Fil-A is a play on ‘chicken fillet’ and the capital ‘A’ is on purpose; it represents the ‘grade A chicken used in the famous sandwich,” sophomore Gigi Cole said, excited to share about one of her favorite restaurants.

Cole’s loyalty to Chick-Fil-A started at a young age. 

 “I first started eating Chick-Fil-A because my older sister would come home with it a lot. Now I love it,” Cole said.

 Like many people, Cole’s favorite meal from Chick-Fil-A is their nuggets. The nuggets were the most popular item on the menu in 2020, and will likely take the prize this year as well.

When Cole found out that a new Raising Cane’s would be opening in her favorite spot, she expressed that she had no doubts that Chick-Fil-A’s popularity would stay strong. 

 “No way, Chick-Fil-A is way too known to get overpowered by Raising Cane’s. I love Raising Cane’s too but there aren’t many locations for it to be so good that people want to travel to get their delicious food.”