Grandville police are warning drivers to expect traffic congestion around Rivertown Crossings Mall when Raising Cane's opens its doors Thursday, with lane closures and a detour pattern set up to keep cars moving near the new restaurant at 3980 Rivertown Mall Path.
The warning comes as the Louisiana-based chicken chain prepares to open its eighth Michigan location at 8 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 22, according to MLive.com. The Grandville Police Department says it worked with Rivertown Crossings and Raising Cane's to build a traffic management plan meant to reduce congestion and keep traffic flowing safely, per a separate MLive.com report. Raising Cane's customers are being encouraged to enter Rivertown Crossings through the Wilson Avenue entrance.
Lane Closures And A New Turn Pattern Take Effect
Under the plan, the rightmost southbound left-turn lane on Wilson Avenue leading into the mall will be closed, along with the right entrance lane into the mall itself, the outlet reports. Vehicles entering from Wilson Avenue will be funneled into a single lane and required to turn left onto the mall ring road, while anyone leaving the Raising Cane's property must turn right onto the south mall ring road.
Drivers leaving Grandville High School via the Wilson Avenue exit will be required to turn right onto southbound Wilson Avenue, according to the same account. Police say the traffic plan will remain in effect through the grand opening weekend, and they're asking all motorists — whether headed for chicken fingers or not — to stay patient, follow posted signs and directions, and use good judgment. Those not stopping at Raising Cane's may want to consider alternate routes to avoid the delays altogether.
Freebies And A Year Of Free Chicken On The Line
The grand opening celebration kicks off at 8 a.m. Thursday, and the first 100 dine-in customers who buy any combo meal will walk away with a free hat and a Box Combo card good for a future visit, the report notes. Visitors can also register between 8 and 9 a.m. for a chance to be one of 20 people drawn between 9 and 10 a.m. to win free Cane's for a year — though customers must be present to win. The menu sticking to the brand's playbook of chicken fingers, crinkle-cut fries, Texas toast, coleslaw and its signature sauce.
Regular hours once Grandville settles in will run 10 a.m. to midnight Sunday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday, per the same account. The new restaurant marks Raising Cane's second West Michigan location, following the chain's first area opening in Kentwood in November 2025.
Lessons From Chaotic Openings In Kentwood And Portage
Grandville isn't the first West Michigan community to brace for a Raising Cane's rush. When the Kentwood location opened, traffic backed up for miles along 28th Street, and police deployed extra officers to manage the mess for about two weeks before conditions normalized, according to FOX 17. Hundreds of self-described “Caniacs” turned out for that November 2025 grand opening, with some camping overnight, and occasional backups still crop up in Kentwood when drive-through lines spill onto the street.
Portage faced similar growing pains ahead of its own Raising Cane's debut. City officials put together a special traffic pattern requiring customers to enter from northbound Westnedge Avenue using the right curb lane as a line for cars, while those exiting had to turn right onto eastbound Milham Road and loop back via Newport Street and Gladys Street, per MLive.com's Kalamazoo coverage. Officials there also advised drivers with no interest in the chicken chain to simply find another route.
A Fast-Growing Chain With An Appetite For Michigan
The frenzy isn't unique to West Michigan. Raising Cane's has grown from just over 500 locations in 2020 to more than 900 today, and it has now surpassed KFC to become the third-largest chicken chain in the country by sales, trailing only Chick-fil-A and Popeyes, according to CNBC. The chain opened 118 restaurants in 2024, with about 100 more expected in 2025.
Chicken chains overall saw sales grow 5.3 percent in 2025, outpacing the broader restaurant industry's 3 percent growth, according to Restaurant Business. Raising Cane's outpaced even that curve, with sales up 10.6 percent and its unit count growing 10.3 percent to close the year at $5.48 billion in sales across 913 locations. Raising Cane's first opened in Michigan in 2022, and the chain now counts locations in Saginaw, East Lansing, Ann Arbor, Portage and metro Detroit — with Grandville set to join that list Thursday.
