Throughout the crisis, Raising Cane’s has kept all but a handful of its 500 restaurants open nationwide. Only those without drive-thrus have temporarily closed. In addition, founder and co-CEO Todd Graves and co-CEO and COO AJ Kumaran have taken no salary as part of their commitment to not furlough a single crewmember.
And this week, to show its appreciation for its Crew’s extraordinary work and sacrifice during the pandemic, Raising Cane’s distributed $2 million to its crewmembers systemwide.
“When the crisis began, we created a mantra ‘NO CREW LEFT BEHIND,’ and I made a promise that we would all get through this together,” Kumaran says. “Our Crew has continued to stay positive while working incredibly hard, and some even reduced their hours in order to keep everyone’s job safe. We are extremely grateful for their shared sacrifice and are blessed to have such an amazing Crew. Thanks to their hard work, Raising Cane’s will come out of this crisis even stronger than before. I couldn’t be prouder and more thankful for each and every one of our Restaurant Leaders and crewmembers.”
The $2 million payout is intended to make-up for the hours that each crewmember agreed to give-up at the beginning of this pandemic, so that all Crewmembers could stay employed, in support of the mantra.
Graves echoed Kumaran’s sentiment noting, “It’s really special to see all of our Crew come together, showing solidarity for each other. Their hard work and dedication to keep our restaurants open and safe, helped ensure our sales would come back strong. Not only are sales strong, but they continue to grow and this is just one way we can make it right for them. Our crewmembers truly embodied the idea that we’re all in this together.”
Not only has Raising Cane’s managed to keep its restaurants and Crew thriving, the brand is continuing to expand, with three new locations set to open in Texas this month. In addition, as part of its commitment to the Communities it serves, Raising Cane’s is in the process of hiring 5,000 new crewmembers this week, to help support existing restaurants, across all of its markets.
“Raising Cane’s culture is built on serving our Communities – it’s the foundation of who we are and what we believe in,” Kumaran adds. “Part of that commitment is providing good jobs, and we wouldn’t be able to do that without our continued success and growth. It’s a testament to our legions of loyal ‘Caniacs’ and our unrelenting focus on doing what’s right for our Crew, Customers and Communities.”
Qualified applicants may apply at www.WorkAtCanes.com.
Raising Cane’s is preparing to methodically re-open its dining rooms while operating with the highest standards of food safety, cleanliness and health. In the meantime, Customers will continue to be served from its drive-thru windows.
