Brick Approves ‘Raising Cane’s’ Restaurant at Half The Size of Building Being Demolished

A Raising Cane’s location. (Credit: Raising Cane’s/ Facebook)

A new Raising Cane’s restaurant in Brick Township will be nearly half the size of the restaurant building it is replacing, with Brick Township planning board members having approved the construction of the new building that reflects current trends in the restaurant industry.

Raising Cane’s will be constructed at 1036 Cedar Bridge Avenue in Brick Plaza, which previously housed Quaker Steak and Lube as well as Chevy’s Fresh Mex. Raising Cane’s will build an approximately 3,333 square foot restaurant with drive-thru lanes, parking areas and associated improvements, replacing the existing structure that measures 8,148 square feet. The current restaurant, though larger, lacks drive-through lanes and configurations for take-out and mobile ordering, which modern quick-serve restaurant developers say account for as much as 70 percent of their business.

The restaurant itself does not violate any zoning ordinances, however shopping centers as a whole are not normally permitted in the B-3 zone where the Brick Plaza property is located without meeting a number of conditions. Despite the plaza having already existed for decades, the construction of a new restaurant is technically considered an expansion of a non-permitted use if all of the conditions – in this case, a minimum front yard of 100-feet where 87 is proposed – are not met, which necessitated a hearing before the board.

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A Raising Cane’s location in Hawaii. (Credit: Raising Cane’s, Facebook)

The board unanimously approved a conditional use variance for the project, and approved of its site plan within the shopping plaza. Board members ultimately approved a number of minor variances, including 18 percent landscaping where 20 percent is required, signage on each side of the building (and in the drive-through lanes) where just one sign is normally permitted, and permission to build a locally-themed mural on the exterior of the brick building. The board also permitted the loading area to be located adjacent to the parking area – an unavoidable issue since the restaurant is an outparcel surrounded by a parking lot.

With more than 700 locations, the fried chicken restaurant has primarily operated in the southern states, but began a foray into South Jersey over the past two years. Raising Cane’s is named for “Cane,” the yellow Labrador retriever owned by the company’s founder, who also serves as the company’s mascot.

The menu features a number of southern-style chicken finger dishes, large “tailgate” portions, fries, sides and sandwiches. The company is also known for its original iced tea recipe, which was the subject of a national advertising campaign last summer featuring the rapper and actor Ice-T.

The opening date of the Brick restaurant has not yet been announced. The company generally announces opening dates of its restaurants between two to three months beforehand. The Brick location will have to be constructed first, receive permits and approvals, then hire a staff before being able to open its doors, representatives said.