<P> Todd Graves first started dreaming of his very own restaurant in the early 1990s . Craig Silvey, an initial partner in Todd's plan, was enrolled in a business plan writing course at LSU at the time . They wrote the business plan and Silvey turned it in, for which Silvey received a "B -". Although the business plan was rejected numerous times by potential investors, Graves set out to earn the money he needed to start the restaurant, first by working in refineries in California, then by fishing for sockeye salmon in Alaska . He and Silvey then obtained an SBA loan, which they used to open the first restaurant in Baton Rouge at the intersection of Highland Road and State Street near the LSU campus . They even drew on the help of friends and family for some of the work on Cane's 1, and many of these names are carved in the restaurant woodwork . Originally, the small restaurant competed against a similarly themed drive - in called Bailey's Chicken Fingers on the opposite end of the campus . By 1999, however, it was able to prove itself the more successful business: it forced Bailey's out of business, becoming the only chicken - finger focused restaurant in the area . </P> <P> In mid-1999, Silvey sold his stake to Graves to focus on completing an MBA at Wake Forest University and work in Silicon Valley . Later, Graves asked Silvey to return as vice president of finance and information technology . </P> <P> By 2008, the chain had grown to more than 50 locations . Most of the locations are in Louisiana, particularly in the Baton Rouge area . The first location outside of Baton Rouge was opened in 2001 in Lafayette--since then, new restaurants have been opened in 22 other states, in addition to all eight metropolitan areas of Louisiana . Graves plans to continue expansion of the chain throughout the United States and internationally, one each in Kuwait (opened September 2015) & Bahrain (opened September 2016), plus two in Saudi Arabia (first had opened February 2017), Lebanon (opened December 2017). Today there are over 360 locations in 23 states . Tennessee opened one in Knoxville in September 2014 . California has 6 West Coast locations, all but two in Orange County: the first opened in late October 2015 in Costa Mesa; the second in early December in Aliso Viejo; the third in early March 2016 in Orange; and the fourth had opened in mid-June in Laguna Hills . The very first in L.A. County and fifth overall had opened in Downey in late August; the first location in Riverside County and 6th overall had opened in Riverside in late October 2017 . 6 more are planned for early 2018: La Habra, Menifee, Ontario, San Bernardino, Santee & Upland . Kansas opened its very first in Lawrence in early May 2016; the second opened in Overland Park in early October; and a 3rd had opened in Shawnee in late August 2017 . Iowa opened its very first in Council Bluffs in mid-October 2016 . Illinois has 5 Chicago area locations, all but one in Cook County: they opened its very first in North Riverside, a Chicago suburb in late January 2017, to make it the 23rd state overall; the second opened in mid-February in Oak Lawn and the third opened in Naperville in late April; the 4th had opened in Harwood Heights in late September; the 5th had opened in Evergreen Park in late October . </P> <P> In January 2009, the company opened a second restaurant support office in Plano, Texas . In June 2011 it opened its 100th restaurant in Laurel, Mississippi . In February 2013 it opened its 150th location in San Antonio, Texas . The milestone 250th location opened in December 2015 in Lake Jackson, Texas . By November 2016 Houston, Texas hosted the milestone 300th restaurant's opening, on Rice & Westpark Tollway; and in late October 2017 Stillwater, Oklahoma was the site of the milestone 350th store . </P>

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