The public will have an opportunity on Wednesday to hear about, and express opinions on, a proposed Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers restaurant on the corner of Manchester Road and Big Bend Boulevard; where Schaefer Shell did business for many years.
Bill Barnes — a St. Louis real estate broker who sold the old TKO DJ building for Gus’s to David Schlafly; and represented Matt Williams on the sale of the old St. Louis Closet Company to David Schlafly, and represented Cory King as a tenant of Schlafly for Side Project Brewing — is the St. Louis representative for Raising Cane’s.
In a one-on-one meeting with Barnes on Friday, he said he watched the McDonald’s deal play out when they tried to locate on the corner. He said Raising Cane’s isn’t like McDonald’s; it values community opinions, also that it’s a family-owned company. Barnes said early on he shared the preliminary site plan with the city, council members, the school district and some neighbors on Ellis Avenue for feedback.
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He pointed out differences between the McDonald’s plan and Raising Cane’s: Raising Cane’s would not take any homes (McDonald’s had planned to rezone and remove two homes on Ellis), no breakfast service — only lunch and dinner, no exit onto Ellis Avenue, and it wouldn’t be open 24 hours a day.
He said the corner was being marketed and would be sold regardless. He said another fast food restaurant already had an offer in — he heard through the grape vine it was Taco Bell — but eventually accepted the Raising Cane’s offer.
Barnes said the restaurant competes with Chipotle, Bread Company, Panda Express. He said the chicken is never frozen, it’s the tenderloin of the breast, and is marinated overnight. Everything is cooked to order. “One love” it’s their motto, and their one love is the chicken finger. Chicken fingers, french fries, Texas toast and coleslaw is all they serve.
He said Maplewood has asked Raising Cane’s to construct a 100 percent masonry building, which he said Raising Cane’s agreed to.
Barnes also said Raising Cane’s likes to be involved in the community. He said they ‘sponsor’ whatever school district is nearby. Other causes, according to the Raising Cane’s website, are pet welfare, feeding the hungry, promoting active lifestyles and business development entrepreneurship.
The Maplewood Board of Adjustment will meet Wednesday at 7 p.m. at City Hall to consider requested variances for the restaurant. A public hearing is part of the meeting.
A Raising Cane’s opened in Hampton Village, in St. Louis city about two months ago. The site plan in Maplewood would be similar to that one. This is it, below:
Looks like another White Castle.
People keep mentioning that this will be the fourth fried chicken place in Maplewood. Off the top of my head, I can only think of Gus’s. Help me out.
Yes, the White Castle, Jack in the Box, and fried chicken smell combo is going to be quite offensive. I wouldn’t want to live anywhere near there. On the east border of Maplewood, we could smell Churches Chicken from 3 blocks away if the wind was blowing in the right (wrong) direction. Not pleasant.
BB – I come up with Gus’s, Porter’s – down on Big Bend, and The Piccadilly – with some tasty fried chicken as well as other options, like chicken pot pie and meatloaf.
I agree, that the Picadilly is the best…
KFC is just a block up Big Bend from Poretr’s.
KFC, Porters, and Gus’s
Cane’s is fantastic, and I was very excited when they came to STL a few years ago. I’m from New Orleans where it originated, and they truly have the best chicken fingers (and I don’t like chicken that much). They are friendly, fast, and the food is always top quality. If there has to be another fast food joint anywhere, I’d vote for Cane’s. Even if that means we have 4 fried chicken places in Maplewood. They all have different styles of serving their fried chicken.
I am a Maplewood native transplanted to Louisiana. Raising Canes was founded by a Louisianan and this chain is one of my favorite fast food restaurants. (And I usually avoid fast food) I think the Maplewood area would really enjoy the refreshing change in “fried chicken” with the Caniac! Love the sauce. Hope you will accept Canes because I need my Canes fix when I come to town.
Kay Conley Cammarata
Agree
If rezoning and variances are required to facilitate the development, our city’s council and the board of adjustment (proof of hardship required) must vote and have complete control. Nothing is a given, so let our voices be heard at the meeting. Highest and best use. Would you buy a property needing zoning changes before a vote is taken to approve? Normally dangerous. Unless, certain folks pledged support in behalf of us residents, before hearing from us? Backroom dealing? Why have meetings if commitments are made prior to public hearings/input.
I kind of wondered why they would buy the .property first….and then hold it secretly for 3 months, too. I wouldn’t buy anything that expensive, unless I already knew I would be able to build what I wanted….. (Just as a side note, I would have rather had a Taco Bell there…..since we have chicken several other places within a short distance.
You know, you can talk all you want about being neighborly and community-minded, and about the chicken being fresh, etc., but another fast food joint is still just another fast food joint…and a FOURTH fried chicken joint in Maplewood. Is that the best we can do, really? I have nothing against Caine’s and certainly nothing against fried chicken, but how about something with a little more substance or variety? With Tim Horton’s, Jack-in-the-Box and White Castle already in that immediate area, we’ll have to be using our windshield washers and wipers just to clean the grease off our cars when we pass that intersection. But, it sounds like it’s already a done deal, so this will fall on deaf ears. Can we vote next time?
I agree that fried chicken is pretty yawn but voting is not the issue on what goes there. Raising Cane’s bought the property so they can put their business there. Wasn’t the city’s call.
Where the city does have a say, is how close the building or drive through can be to neighboring houses, aesthetics, and what not. It’s encouraging Cane’s will comply with the brick requirement and there will not be a 24/7 drive through. This is clearly better than a McD’s or Taco Bell which seem to be the realistic alternatives. I’m happy our neighbors on Ellis appear to be getting a less intrusive business than us on Hazel.
This is a major intersection and the businesses that goes there will be paying top dollar to be there. That means car dealerships like we had previous, chain drug stores, chain fast food, and you get the picture. I’d rather have something else but at the end of the day they bought the property.
I get it, but it’s still too bad the city can’t regulate the types of businesses that get approved, regardless of who owns the land. I feel sorry for the residents who live near that area. The smell of grease is going to permeate the air they breathe when they step out on the back porch on a nice balmy evening.
Raising Caine is a play on the owner who’s dog is Caine…. Great history on the founder… I like his story.. As told my daughter…. More to come if your interested
Been to one in Baton Rouge, my daughter went to LSU, more like chicken strips with a Cajun flair..I’m happy they want to be in Maplewood.. I think they will be good neighbors..,
Not excited about Cane’s as a restaurant choice, but it sounds like it would be less disruptive to nearby residents than McDs or Taco Bell.
Hopefully our Maplewood site plan does a better job of being pedestrian friendly. Looking at the Hampton one, I see one pedestrian walkway and it is from the Hampton Village parking lot. No access from any of the three surrounding streets.
Hmm, look closer at the drawings. There is a cross walk across the parking lot on the side towards Sutherland Ave. It does come from the handicapped parking, but there is 2′ to the public sidewalk. Most people dont have a problem crossing grass. There isnt actually a street on 2 sides of the building. Behind the building is an alley, which you could also walk on to the property from. The side along Hampton actually has a retaining wall running across it. Due to the steep elevation change from the street up to the lot, a walkway isnt feasable. If you drive by it, you can see it much better. The drawing doesnt show elevation change.
And do wheelchairs easily roll through that 2 feet of grass?
It’s possible the site plan has some elevation challenges, but those also should be planned for and still work to accommodate pedestrians. Maplewood just released a walkability study. Shouldn’t we at least try for 5 seconds to be walkable?
Couldn’t agree more. This plan, while not surprising, is a major hindrance to long term success of Manchester west of Big Bend. I would welcome any business at that location that is willing to construct a building that doesn’t have vehicles either parking or driving in front of it.
Agreed. Seems like a doable fix to require parking for all new businesses in the back, with store front add the sidewalk level. We regulate brick fronts, we could regulate setbacks as well.