Raising Cane’s is circling a site next to Leesburg Premium Outlets, eyeing the vacant TGI Fridays outparcel for a new restaurant. The plan is not locked in yet, with company representatives saying they are still pursuing entitlements and need local approvals before they can commit. If everything comes together, the chain is projecting an opening in 2028.
In a May 15 update, a company spokesperson confirmed the brand is pursuing an outparcel beside the mall and that the existing Fridays building would be torn down to make room for a new Cane’s, according to The Burn. That report says the site is still pending approvals and that the chain is seeking entitlements, and it notes the brand has been expanding across the region.
Court filings and earlier reporting flagged interest in the location and hinted at a drive-thru configuration, though nothing is official yet, as Patch reported in April. That coverage said filings to the town identified the chain but that permits had not been pulled. Local observers say paperwork and town reviews are usually the clearest signs that a project is moving from proposal to construction.
Timeline and approvals
Raising Cane’s told The Burn that "we'd open in 2028" if entitlements and approvals are granted, a tight target for a multistep permitting process. Developers typically need site-plan signoff, utility coordination, and building permits before demolition and construction can begin. Until the town posts an approved plan, the property next to the outlets is likely to stay quiet.
Cane's footprint in NoVA
The chain has been steadily growing in Northern Virginia, with its first local outpost opening in Sterling in 2022, followed by additional stores in Manassas and Falls Church, according to Northern Virginia Magazine. Nationally, Raising Cane’s operates more than 900 restaurants, growth that CNBC has highlighted as part of the chain’s rapid expansion, which helps explain local interest in another outlet-area location.
For now, the project remains at the "exploring" stage. Local coverage emphasizes that paperwork and approvals are still pending and that nothing is finalized until permits are filed and a site plan is approved, as Patch noted. We will be watching town filings and planning notices for any demolition or construction permits and will report updates as they arrive.
