By LYDIA EARHART

lee003@latech.edu

 

Raise those chicken fingers and point them towards Cane’s secret sauce for an off-campus treat.

Jamie Guilbeau, Laura Rankin and Jessica Wawrzyniak, all dedicated Raising Cane’s fans, camped outside of the new location in Ruston on 659 North Service Road E. to await its opening Oct. 13.

“We are hardcore Raising Cane’s fans,” Guilbeau, a senior elementary education major, said. “We spent the night in this tent all for Raising Cane’s.”

Guilbeau said she has loved Raising Cane’s since it opened in her hometown of Lafayette.

“It was amazing,” Guilbeau said. “A good restaurant deserves to be appreciated.”

The three fans said they were awakened early in the morning.

“At 5:30 in the morning, water shot through the tent, and we thought it was raining,” Guilbeau said. “The manager forgot to tell us about the sprinklers. Then the construction workers woke us up while they were working on the sidewalk.”

Guilbeau said the chicken is worth all of the commotion involved in waiting for Cane’s because she believes it is the best in the world.

“Cane’s chicken and sauce is what ketchup is to French fries,” Guilbeau said. “It’s the sauce. The sauce has an extra kick just like Emeril [Lagasse]’s BAM!”

The three fans said they have met some nice people from Raising Cane’s.

“Cane’s manager, district manager and all of their employees are really nice,” Rankin, an intern at the Wesley Foundation, said. “Before we decided to camp out, we asked the manager if we could so we wouldn’t get in trouble.”

The fans said they love the new Cane’s location in Ruston.

“[Wawrzyniak and I] work at Beehive, so we are all about supporting Ruston businesses,” Guilbeau said. “I just can’t wait to hear that employee call my name and hand me my delicious meal.”

Wawrzyniak, a senior family and child studies major, agreed with Guilbeau about finally tasting Cane’s that night.

“I will be there with a big plate of chicken fingers and extra sauce,” Wawrzyniak said.

Kyle McFarlain, the general manager of Raising Cane’s, said he is happy to have dedicated fans in the Ruston area.

“I think it is awesome that they are camping out. We had the same thing happen when we first opened in Hammond,” McFarlain said. “It is just proof of how welcoming Ruston is to us.”

McFarlain said the Ruston location is his 33rd Raising Cane’s in and around the area of Louisiana.

“Ruston is an up-and-coming city with a lot of history,” McFarlain said. “We are happy to be in Ruston because everyone seems to be embracing our grand opening.”