Todd Graves (entrepreneur)

Todd Graves (born 1972) is an American entrepreneur and founder of Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers, a fast food restaurant company that specializes in fried chicken finger meals. Graves, along with Craig Silvey, founded the first restaurant in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in 1996.

Todd Graves
Born1972 (age 50–51)
New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
EducationUniversity of Georgia[1]
Occupation(s)Entrepreneur, Restaurateur
OfficeCo-founder and CEO of Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers
Term28 August 1996 – present
Children2

Early life

Graves was born in New Orleans and raised in Baton Rouge. Graves graduated from Episcopal High School in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.[2] Graves attended the University of Georgia, where in 1994 he received a degree in telecommunications.[1] At Georgia, Graves was an initiated brother of the Nu chapter of Lambda Chi Alpha.

Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers

Graves and long time friend Craig Silvey used Silvey's business plan course at LSU to create their business plan.[3]

Graves opened Raising Cane's near the North Gates of Louisiana State University on Highland Road in 1996.[3] By 2022 the company expanded to more than 600 restaurants in the U.S. and the Middle East.[4][5]

The restaurants are named after Raising Cane I, Graves’ dog at the time of the founding of the first restaurant. They are headquartered in Baton Rouge.[3]

Personal life

Graves and his wife, Gwen, have two children and reside in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, with their yellow Labrador, Raising Cane III.[6]

Collections
Todd Graves at the Raising Cane's Dog Park in Baton Rouge, Louisiana

An avid collector, Graves has loaned a 66-million-year-old triceratops skull to the Louisiana Arts and Science Museum.[7] He has also loaned the hearse that carried Martin Luther King, Jr. to exhibits across the country.[8]

Todd Graves at Eat Las Vegas

References
  1. "Doggone Good Chicken". University of Georgia Magazine. p. 49. Retrieved 2023-08-13.
  2. "Episcopal School of Baton Rouge holds groundbreaking for field house". 27 June 2018.
  3. Sayre, Alan (June 12, 2007). "Finger joint beat the odds on fish turf". Atlanta Constitution. pp. D3. Retrieved September 18, 2019.
  4. "A return to growth". 5 July 2022.
  5. "Raising Cane's in downtown East Lansing is on the way. Here's where the project stands".
  6. "Dog Days of Summer: Our tails are wagging for Todd Graves' new shelter pup and the entrants of this year's contest". 3 July 2022.
  7. Miller, Robin (29 February 2016). "There's a 66 million-year-old triceratops in Baton Rouge". The Advocate.
  8. Miller, Robin (14 January 2019). "Hearse that carried the body of Martin Luther King Jr. comes to Baton Rouge". The Advocate.
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