Todd Graves (entrepreneur)

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Todd Graves
ToddGravesRaisingCanesMothership.png
Todd Graves in the original Raising Cane's in Baton Rouge, LA
Born1972 (age 48–49)
New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
OccupationEntrepreneur, Restaurateur
Children2
Websiteraisingcanes.com

Todd Graves (born 1972) is the founder of Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers, a fast food restaurant company that specializes in fried chicken finger meals. Graves, along with Craig Silvey, founded the first restaurant in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in 1996.

Early life[]

Graves was born in New Orleans and raised in Baton Rouge. Graves graduated from Episcopal High School in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.[citation needed]

Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers[]

Graves and long time friend Craig Silvey used Silvey's business plan course at LSU to test their business plan. The project received a B- in the class, and the professor commented that a chicken-fingers-only business could never succeed. The two were unable to persuade bankers to fund the restaurant idea. So Graves worked at a refinery in California and then joined Silvey as a salmon fisherman in Alaska to raise money to open the first restaurant.[1]

Graves opened Raising Cane's right outside the North Gates of Louisiana State University on Highland Road in 1996.[2] Over the next 20 years, Graves would oversee the company expansion to more than 500 restaurants in the U.S. and the Middle East and more than $1.9 Billion in annual sales.[3]

The restaurants are named after Graves' dog. They are headquartered in Baton Rouge.[1]

Personal life[]

Graves and his wife, Gwen, have two children and reside in Baton Rouge, Louisiana with his yellow Labrador. His son's name is Charlton Graves and his daughter is Sophia Graves. Charlton is further known as "Full Send" around Baton Rouge.[citation needed]

Awards and recognition[]

Graves was named to Glassdoor's 2019 Top CEOs in the U.S. ranking #28 on the list. The Louisiana Restaurant Association named him Restaurateur Of The Year in 2012[4] and magazine named him Louisianan Of The Year in 2013.[5]: 45 [6] In 2010, Graves was awarded the 2010 SCORE Award for Socially Progressive Business. Graves has also been named an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2008 award winner.

Philanthropy[]

Todd Graves at the Raising Cane's Dog Park in Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Graves supports many philanthropies and organizations personally and through Raising Cane's. Graves and Raising Cane's focus community efforts toward six areas: education, feeding the hungry, pet welfare, active lifestyles, business development and entrepreneurship and "everything else".[7] In 2020, Graves partnered with the Manning Family and Michael Thomas to feed thousands of frontline healthcare workers battling the pandemic.[8][9] He also purchased $70,000 in gift cards to local restaurants in his community [10] as well as paid his Crewmembers to make 10,000 masks to donate to healthcare facilities.[citation needed]

An avid collector, Graves has loaned a 66-million-year-old triceratops skull to the Louisiana Arts and Science Museum.[11] He has also loaned the hearse that carried Martin Luther King, Jr. to exhibits across the country.[12]

Television appearances[]

In 2020, Graves produced a new television series, Restaurant Recovery, due to air in 2021. The 10-episode series chronicles Graves traveling across the country to help restaurants on the verge of closing due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[13]

In December 2020, Graves appeared on an Q episode of Built for Business where the Cruising Kitchens team custom built two Raising Cane's food trucks.[14] Graves has also appeared on Fast N Loud, Treehouse Masters and Food Court Wars.[citation needed]

In 2008, Graves appeared on Fox Broadcasting version of the reality television show, The Secret Millionaire. The show follows a group of individual millionaires from across the country who leave their affluent lifestyle to go undercover to experience life in some of the most impoverished communities that need help the most. Graves donated more than $400,000 to support Plaquemines Parish non-profits affected by Hurricane Katrina.[15]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b Sayre, Alan (June 12, 2007). "Finger joint beat the odds on fish turf". Atlanta Constitution. pp. D3. Retrieved September 18, 2019.
  2. ^ "Our Story". Raising Cane's | Chicken Fingers | Cane's Sauce. April 1, 2013.
  3. ^ Kelso, Alicia. "Raising Cane's Now Offering 'Industry-Leading' Compensation, Including The Chance To Make $1 Million". Forbes.
  4. ^ "Todd Graves Named Louisiana's Restaurateur of Year". Restaurant News. August 21, 2012. Retrieved September 18, 2019.
  5. ^ "Todd Graves". Louisiana Life. 2013. Retrieved September 18, 2019.
  6. ^ Finn, Kathy (December 21, 2012). "Louisianians of the Year". Myneworleans.com. Archived from the original on February 14, 2019. Retrieved February 13, 2019.
  7. ^ "Cane's And Your Community". Raising Cane's | Chicken Fingers | Cane's Sauce. March 28, 2013.
  8. ^ "Raising Cane's employees sew masks for local health care facilities from downtown Baton Rouge location". [225]. April 30, 2020.
  9. ^ "Michael Thomas and Raising Cane's team up to donate meals to Ochsner health-care workers Tuesday". www.neworleanssaints.com.
  10. ^ "Mayor Broome Announces Raising Cane's Purchase of $50,000 in Gift Cards in Support of "Keep BR Serving" Initiative". April 24, 2020.
  11. ^ romiller@theadvocate.com, Robin Miller. "There's a 66 million-year-old triceratops in Baton Rouge". The Advocate.
  12. ^ Miller, Robin. "Hearse that carried the body of Martin Luther King Jr. comes to Baton Rouge". The Advocate.
  13. ^ "Raising Cane's founder Todd Graves to invest $2 million in 'Restaurant Recovery' TV show". Nation's Restaurant News. June 23, 2020.
  14. ^ "Canes Across America". December 14, 2020.
  15. ^ "Secret Millionaire™". Cane's Sauce. April 4, 2013.
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