Raising Cane’s opens its doors in downtown Iowa City

The new restaurant is located on the first floor of the Old Capitol Mall.

Fatima Salinas and Madelyn Ambroz

August 27, 2024

Employees pose for group portraits during the Cane’s opening on South Clinton Street in downtown Iowa City on Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024. The opening included a raffle, a DJ, and free merchandise.

Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers has opened its doors to University of Iowa students at a new downtown location.

On Tuesday, Iowa City welcomed the franchise with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the new 201 S. Clinton St. location, formerly home to Freddy’s Frozen Custard and Steakburgers, in the Old Capitol Mall.

The ceremony included Raising Cane’s partners, workers, university students, and Iowa City’s mayor, Bruce Teague. The restaurant chain made sure to give back to the community during this event, donating $1,000 to an Iowa City animal shelter as well as awarding 20 customers with free Cane’s for a year.

Iowa City Mayor Bruce Teague speaks during the Canes opening on South Clinton Street in downtown Iowa City on Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024. Twenty customers received free Canes for a year. (Emma Calabro/The Daily Iowan)

“I just think it’s going to be really good for Iowa City,” Sofia Korasick, a UI first-year student, said.

The opening of the new location was a way to meet new friends and share memories for some attendees. Korasick explained her excitement about being one of the 20 winners of free Cane’s for a year and making friends while in line for her potential selection.

“I’ll sit out in the heat, maybe make a couple of friends… I had no idea I was going to win,” Korasick said.

The building was also decked out in UI merchandise. For athletes, students and alumni, there’s a bit of Iowa in every corner. To celebrate the Hawkeye spirit, the building features a full-size DJ booth that will play live music throughout the opening week, weekends and game days.

Isaiah Underwood, the regional leader of the restaurant chain, said he is excited about opening a location in downtown Iowa City next to the UI campus because of the connections UI has to the origins of the fast-food chain.

Students wait in line for the Canes opening on South Clinton Street in downtown Iowa City on Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024. Twenty customers received free Canes for a year. (Emma Calabro/The Daily Iowan)

“If you look at our founder, Todd Graves [who] opened at LSU in 1996, [Cane’s was] literally founded by a college student,” Underwood said. “If you look at a town like Iowa City, it is exactly Cane’s culture. I can tell you that I’ve been here the last couple of days and the energy is incredible.”

Underwood was excited to see hundreds of students constantly checking in to see if the restaurant was open.

Underwood said UI and Raising Cane’s share a common goal of community service. With over 20,000 individual partnerships, he said Raising Cane’s is all about being involved in local communities.