Raising Cane's has a third Knoxville location under construction, and this time the chicken-finger chain is headed for the busy Turkey Creek shopping corridor in West Knoxville. A representative for the company confirmed the new restaurant has a tentative opening date of spring 2027.
The new spot will join Raising Cane's existing Cumberland Avenue location near the University of Tennessee campus and its Kingston Pike restaurant near West Town Mall, according to WVLT. The chain opened its first Knoxville restaurant up the road from its current Cumberland Avenue shop, establishing its initial beachhead near campus before expanding into the suburbs.
From Campus Strip to Suburban Interstate
Raising Cane's first active Knoxville restaurant opened in May 2024 at 1830 Cumberland Avenue, planting itself squarely in the University of Tennessee's dense student district, per The Coconut Mama.
The chain's second Knoxville restaurant followed on January 28, 2025, opening at 7723 Kingston Pike directly across from West Town Mall, according to historical reporting from Knox TN Today. That move carried Raising Cane's out of the student-heavy campus zone and into a higher-traffic West Knoxville retail setting, laying groundwork for a third store even further into the suburbs.
Why Turkey Creek Keeps Drawing Fast-Food Chains
Turkey Creek is a shopping destination in West Knoxville.
Raising Cane's isn't the only chain arriving in the area. Arkansas-based 7 Brew Coffee opened its first Knoxville location at Pinnacle at Turkey Creek this past March, as Hoodline previously reported.
Raising Cane's Origins
Raising Cane's was founded in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in 1996 by Todd Graves, according to Masters of Scale.
That growth has come alongside heavy spending back at headquarters, too — Hoodline has reported on the $100M HQ overhaul the chain is pouring into its Plano, Texas headquarters.
The opening would mark the completion of a retail triad for Raising Cane's across Knoxville's major commercial corridors, stretching from the UT campus strip to West Town Mall to Turkey Creek.
