Raising Cane’s will open its first Albany, Georgia restaurant on Tuesday, July 21, anchoring a five-restaurant national push the chain announced for July 2026. The new Dawson Road location is one of three first-time markets the company is entering this month, alongside Johnson City, Tennessee and Jacksonville, North Carolina.
The Albany opening adds to a Georgia footprint that already runs through a dozen cities from Athens to Woodstock. Raising Cane’s told USA Today it plans to open five new restaurants and reopen three remodeled ones in July, on the way to a stated goal of 100 new restaurants in 2026.
A First for Albany on Dawson Road
Raising Cane’s first Albany restaurant opens at 2616 Dawson Road on July 21. The address and date are confirmed on the chain’s own Albany location page, which lists the site as “Dawson Rd Opening 07.21.26.”
The new restaurant is hiring before it serves a single customer. WALB reported the chain is looking to fill approximately 130 crew positions, including cashiers, fry cooks, and customer service associates, all starting at $15 per hour. Crewmembers earn an additional $1 per hour for hours worked past 10 p.m. and another $2 per hour within the first 12 months of employment. Walk-in applicants will be accepted after the first week of the hiring period.
To mark the opening, the chain will offer 20 customers Raising Cane’s free for a year on opening day. Raising Cane’s now operates more than 1,000 restaurants worldwide and expects to open 100 new locations in 2026, per WALB.
- Opening date: Tuesday, July 21, 2026
- Address: 2616 Dawson Road, Albany, GA 31707
- Crew roles: Cashiers, Fry Cooks, Customer Service Associates
- Positions open: ~130
- Starting pay: $15 per hour
Five New Restaurants and Three First-Time Markets
Raising Cane’s is opening five brand new restaurants in July, the company told USA Today, plus reopening three remodeled locations. The new openings stretch from Schererville, Indiana to Los Angeles, with Johnson City, Jacksonville, and Albany all first-time markets for the chain.
The opening schedule starts fast. Schererville opens July 6 at 703 US Route 41, followed by Johnson City on July 7 at 1904 N. Roan St.
Jacksonville opens July 13 at 1106 Western Blvd. Albany opens July 21 at 2616 Dawson Road. The Los Angeles location at 1008 Broxton Ave. has not yet announced its opening date.
The three remodeled locations reopen later in the month: Edmond, Oklahoma’s 1225 E. 2nd St. location on July 13, Fort Collins, Colorado’s 2108 S. College Ave. location on July 17, and Las Vegas’s 6051 N. Decatur Blvd. location on July 20.
| City | State | Address | Status | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schererville | Indiana | 703 US Route 41 | New | July 6 |
| Johnson City | Tennessee | 1904 N. Roan St. | New | July 7 |
| Jacksonville | North Carolina | 1106 Western Blvd. | New | July 13 |
| Albany | Georgia | 2616 Dawson Road | New | July 21 |
| Los Angeles | California | 1008 Broxton Ave. | New | TBD |
| Edmond | Oklahoma | 1225 E. 2nd St. | Reopen | July 13 |
| Fort Collins | Colorado | 2108 S. College Ave. | Reopen | July 17 |
| Las Vegas | Nevada | 6051 N. Decatur Blvd. | Reopen | July 20 |
We’re excited to celebrate these milestones with our newest communities in Johnson City, Jacksonville and Albany.
The quote comes from a June 29 statement the company sent to USA Today. The statement also framed the openings as a chance to “create jobs and strengthen local partnerships.”
Where Cane’s Already Sits in Georgia
Before Albany opens, Raising Cane’s already has locations in a dozen Georgia cities. The chain currently operates in Athens, Buford, Columbus, Conyers, Cumming, Dacula, Duluth, Kennesaw, McDonough, Snellville, Valdosta, and Woodstock.
The Athens restaurant is temporarily closed for construction. Once Albany opens on July 21, the new Dawson Road restaurant will become the chain’s thirteenth Georgia location, and its first in Southwest Georgia.
- Athens (temporarily closed for construction)
- Buford
- Columbus
- Conyers
- Cumming
- Dacula
- Duluth
- Kennesaw
- McDonough
- Snellville
- Valdosta
- Woodstock
Hours Are Also Shifting in July
The July changes go beyond new buildings. Some already established Raising Cane’s restaurants will adjust their hours in July, opening earlier or closing later in markets where late-night dining is more popular.
The markets getting extended hours include Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston, Miami and Orlando, New Orleans, Nashville, Phoenix, and Las Vegas, per USA Today. The chain is making the changes to serve customers where late-night demand is stronger.
Las Vegas also appears on the July remodel list, with its 6051 N. Decatur Blvd. location reopening July 20. The hour shifts are part of the same July push that includes the five new openings, the company told USA Today.
One Menu Since 1996
Raising Cane’s traces its start to August 28, 1996, when founder Todd Graves opened the first location in an old building at the North Gates of Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. The college-era business plan, focused entirely on chicken fingers, had earlier received the lowest grade in a class because the professor said it wouldn’t work.
The chain is named after Todd Graves’s yellow Labrador Retriever, Raising Cane, who frequented the construction site. Graves had originally planned to call the restaurant “Sockeye’s” for his time commercial fishing in Alaska. After construction started, a friend advised him to use the dog’s name instead.
The menu has stayed tight since 1996. Per the chain’s Who We Are page, certified “Bird Specialists” hand batter premium chicken that’s marinated for 24 hours, then cooked to order. No heat lamps are used. The signature Cane’s Sauce is mixed fresh daily in every restaurant from a top-secret recipe known to only a few people.
The full menu runs from individual chicken finger meals to “Tailgates” that scale up to 100 chicken fingers, plus extras like crinkle-cut fries, Texas toast, coleslaw, and a chicken sandwich. The company’s stated “ONE LOVE” is the chicken finger meal.
Raising Cane’s is privately held and remains headquartered at 100 North St. Suite 802 in Baton Rouge, with a Dallas-area support office in Plano, Texas, per the company’s FAQ page. The chain has grown past 1,000 restaurants worldwide, per WALB.
- Founded: 1996, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- Founder and CEO: Todd Graves
- Namesake: Raising Cane, a yellow Labrador Retriever
- Marination: 24 hours, cooked to order, no heat lamps
- Worldwide restaurants: More than 1,000
Hiring 130 Crew in Albany
The Albany location is the latest chance to join the chain’s growing crew. According to WALB, Raising Cane’s is filling roughly 130 positions for cashiers, fry cooks, and customer service associates, with starting pay of $15 per hour. The hiring push is large enough to mark the chain’s first major staffing campaign in the Albany market.
Beyond the base pay, the chain offers an extra $1 per hour for hours worked past 10 p.m. and an additional $2 per hour within the first 12 months of employment, per WALB. Walk-in applicants will be accepted after the first week of the hiring period, and applications open in mid-July ahead of the July 21 opening.
- Starting pay: $15 per hour
- Night differential (after 10 p.m.): +$1 per hour
- Tenure differential (first 12 months): +$2 per hour
- Approximate crew openings: 130
- Application window: Mid-July onward
Frequently Asked Questions
When does Raising Cane’s open in Albany, Georgia?
Raising Cane’s first Albany restaurant opens Tuesday, July 21, 2026, at 2616 Dawson Road. The address and date are listed on the chain’s own Albany location page.
Where exactly is the new Albany Raising Cane’s located?
The new restaurant is at 2616 Dawson Road, Albany, GA 31707, on Dawson Road in southwest Albany, near the retail corridor identified in local coverage of the construction.
What jobs are available at the new Albany Raising Cane’s?
The chain is hiring approximately 130 crew members, including cashiers, fry cooks, and customer service associates. Starting pay is $15 per hour, with additional pay differentials for night shifts and tenure.
How many Raising Cane’s restaurants are in Georgia now?
Before Albany opens, Raising Cane’s operates in 12 Georgia cities: Athens, Buford, Columbus, Conyers, Cumming, Dacula, Duluth, Kennesaw, McDonough, Snellville, Valdosta, and Woodstock. The Athens location is temporarily closed for construction. Albany will become the 13th.
What does Raising Cane’s serve?
Raising Cane’s serves only chicken finger meals, hand-battered and marinated for 24 hours before cooking to order. The standard meal pairs the fingers with crinkle-cut fries, Texas toast, coleslaw, and the chain’s signature Cane’s Sauce. The chain also offers larger “Tailgates” of up to 100 chicken fingers and a chicken sandwich.
