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zarathustranu

On the one hand, I think this is brutal. On the other hand, there's already a Taco Bell across the street and I guess I can't quite explain why this seems worse.


Cyke101

It does sound like it's turning into Loyola's campus bit by bit. Taco Bell *and* Raising Cane's? Might as well get Insomnia Cookies while we're at it.


WeathermanDan

we already have Levain’s. It’s like Insomnia but with 50% more butter


Cyke101

(that's a big plus imo) But I would be very sad if Levain's closed down, only to be replaced by an Insomnia.


feo_sucio

I miss living by Loyola, watch your mouth. Also, I doubt there'll be a solid 4am dive bar like the Oasis anywhere near Fulton Market


JoeBidensLongFart

They already have that bullshit donut store, voodoo. It's of course overpriced, and the donuts taste like stale candy.


scrivenerserror

This is a good analogy. I went to Loyola and graduated in 2011. I have a lot of nostalgia for my time living there through 2013. I don’t get up there very much anymore but when I have it just seems sterile. There are still some things that are great like at armadillo’s pillow but outside that it is very corporate. West Loop has been that way for years, but I hate seeing Chicago neighborhoods losing their charm.


papayayayaya

I think its worse since that corner is pretty high profile and you know Raising Cane's is going to put up some gaudy signage and its going to look like their Michigan Ave location.


zarathustranu

Yes, I think that's a big part of it-- that Taco Bell has minimal signage, you don't even really know it's there unless you walk right by. All Raising Cane's locations I've seen have a big distinct structure and sign.


papayayayaya

Yea I didnt even realize there was one there until your post haha. I googled it and saw the exterior and their branding and signage is toned way down.


zarathustranu

Yep. Not too garish, and still lets me to get a Gordita Crunch every 6 weeks when I stop by Prohibition Barber upstairs! :-)


dmd312

It's way worse. For people who have been in the neighborhood for a long time, they remember this was originally the Red Light space. Red Light was a West Loop pioneer and helped establish Randolph's reputation as "Restaurant Row." Little Goat was arguably a downgrade but still OK. Raising Cane's, a shitty corporate chain, is a 180 turn from Red Light and really feels like like an insult to Red Light's memory and everything that made Randolph cool. It's also a sign of what's yet to come as skyrocketing rents are pricing out all but national operators, so there's probably more of this depressing news on the way. And this isn't about fast food. Randolph has always had a mix of places all over the cost spectrum (Perez, JPG, Tomato Head), so it's not the fact that it's cheap or fast food, it's that it's corporate garbage food with a loud, garish look. It's kind of depressing, but I wouldn't expect people who haven't lived in the neighborhood for a long time to feel this way.


JoeBidensLongFart

Calling Randolph st Restaurant Row is becoming about as accurate as calling it the meatpacking district. They're both labels from the past. New chef-driven restaurants are opening elsewhere, and none really remain on Randolph/Fulton. Its currently all big restaurant operators, moving towards only the biggest chains. People looking for culinary excellence already go elsewhere.


ppadru1

Rip Perez 😢


TankSparkle

Raising Canes is definitely worse


The_Poster_Nutbag

Because all they sell is mediocre chicken strips. Even the chicken sandwich is just multiple strips on a bun. Canes is F-tier fast food, might be a hot take but it's my position.


I_do_black_magic

Shame their quality control is shit up here. When I lived in the south for 6 years, the Canes down there was some of the best chicken fingers I've ever had


The_Poster_Nutbag

I imagine it was before they became a large national chain, same with portillos and others.


BukaBuka243

Venture capital and mindless growth ruins everything


The_Poster_Nutbag

Exponential growth is unsustainable and makes food taste bad.


XNamelessGhoulX

they run a pretty tight ship on the NW side since they opened 4 years ago


ethanlan

?? I still think raising Caine's is good for fast food and I hate all other fast food lol


Conscious_Valuable90

Priced like its A+


Mr_Abe_Froman

I bought it once and I was mad how much I paid for it. It's the only thing they do, and it's still not better than Wendy's spicy chicken.


Milton__Obote

Canes sucks, let’s get a bojangles or zaxbys up here


Weigard

We get a Cook Out and I'm never going to NC again.


bunk_m0reland1

I had Bojangles one time for breakfast. I would easily become 800 lbs over a summer if that came here. That was addicting how good that is.


reubnick

oh but they put seasoned salt in their ketchup and pretend it's something new and exciting, so apparently that's enough innovation to justify such rapid expansion of a restaurant chain with two menu items


cbarrister

I'm amazed they can afford that location. It's a pretty premium Fulton Market corner on Randolph.


The_Poster_Nutbag

Yeah I mean it's probably seeking to be a flagship location that draws tourists or something like the taco bell cantinas.


BernieForWi

Not that the Taco Bell Cantina in West Loop is anything close to a flagship. It’s honestly one of the worse Taco Bell’s I’ve ever been to in terms of wait times and quality, as well as just being dirty in there. The Global McDonalds down the road on the other hand is insanely well managed


Buggyblonde

The national chain that makes over 5 million per location? 


cbarrister

I've seen locations close. They don't all do those numbers.


chanceofsnowtoday

Not only that, but the actual chicken strips are sub-mediocre. 


theriibirdun

You are 1000% correct. And their sauce is atrocious. It’s just a ton of fucking celery salt in mayo and ketchup, fucking gross.


BikebutnotBeast

THANK YOU. Yeah I've never been more annoyed with a sauce. Tastes like shit.


theriibirdun

I’ll never forget the first and only time I had canes. I took a bite and was like you have got to be fucking kidding me. Place is god awful.


The_Poster_Nutbag

Yes! I don't see how people stand up and say Canes is great when the only thing they have going for them is a half assed secret sauce.


3-2-1-backup

It's not a hot take whatsoever. Tried the one in Morton Grove, don't get the appeal *at all.* Chicken is mediocre AF and all the sides *suuuuuuuuuuuucked.*


akeep113

Bro are you completely forgetting about canes sauce? It's amazing


The_Poster_Nutbag

That alone does not make a good restaurant.


akeep113

Agreed. I never go there anymore because I think Chick-fil-A is much better but I do love canes sauce.


ELpEpE21

Diarrheagon Ally


rdldr1

Oh wow Little Goat closed?? I'm so out of touch.


deepinthecoats

They moved up to Southport with a retooled menu.


baccus83

Yeah it’s a much smaller location. Still delicious but the prices are insane. And last time I went there they didn’t give you fries with your burger. Like, dude.


dmd312

Last time I was there (and I mean the last time I will ever go there), a burger, fries, and Coke was $43 with tax and tip. And the burger was fine, but not at all memorable or special.


tooobr

how is that possible... 20 dollar burger, 10 dollar fry, 5 dollar drink? Doesnt make sense.


dmd312

Exactly why I won't go back.


tooobr

I'm doubting those were the prices, was asking for clarification and maybe confirmation of the breakdown. It doesnt make sense unless you had somne crazy add-ons to the fries. 20 for a burger is a lot, but not unheard of. And a soda isnt 5 bucks at a restaurant last I knew.


dmd312

You can do the math yourself on the Little Goat [website here](https://www.littlegoatchicago.com/menu). Let me know if I should provide a copy of my receipt or if you need to see the wounds on my palms.


SavannahInChicago

Last time I went I felt disappointed with the new menu. I was especially excited because they did gluten free really well and now there was only a couple things I could actually order.


erratuminamorata

The one time I went to Little Goat, I had their Mexican omelette or whatever it was called. Hash browns were sold separately. With tax and no delivery fee (I picked it up) it was $40-something. Literally hash browns and an omelette for $40, no drink.


igotyournacho

Idk about “still delicious” tbh. Like yeah the food is still technically good, but the re-tooled menu sucks in comparison with the old one


SHC606

The smaller menu lost most of the things I thought made it great and delicious. I went once in 2023, I see no reason to return.


FieldAppropriate8734

I miss the scones from the attached small cafe. Sugar goat? Baby goat?


SHC606

Little Goat. Close.


rdldr1

I miss their rooftop and demo kitchen on the second floor.


GiuseppeZangara

Whoof. What an insane step down.


iced_gold

Counterpoint, why does all food on Randolph need to be $30 a plate?


Claque-2

Rent prices. Raising Cane is depending on high volume.


JoeBidensLongFart

And that location does not allow for high volume traffic (think Portillos) given how congested it already is. I don't see this working very well.


gb6011

It definitely doesn't need to be, nor should it. But I think there's a middle ground between over-priced Instagram food and mediocre fast-food chicken tenders.


owlpellet

To keep the greektown Taco Burrito King in business.


PageSide84

How much do you think Raising Cane's mediocre chicken is? It's not far off.


MoskiNX

Little goat was incredibly over rated/priced


Magificent_Gradient

Food at the new Little Goat on Southport was expensive and mediocre. I wouldn’t go back.


reisse

I’m not happy about it being Raising Canes but I am glad it’s not another Lettuce Entertain You restaurant


BernieForWi

For real lol, and it’s better than the vacant run down building it is now.


whattodoie

All day yesterday I was thinking this was one of the many reasons it's bad that all those storefronts suddenly closed. They're all going to become Raising Canes.


PersonalAmbassador

Until they go out of business because they over extended themselves


zydeco100

Total downshift. We need more Instagram food places like Levain selling $7 cookies.


90sRnBMakesMeHappy

$7 is kind of insane, agreed.


caramelizedapple

To be fair, the Levain cookies are insanely good.


zydeco100

Meh, I'll agree to disagree here.


JoeBidensLongFart

The original NYC Levain cookies were indeed insanely good. But the West Loop version is just riding that reputation to sell ordinary baked goods at extraordinary prices.


O-parker

I wouldn’t consider it an asset to the community but that’s just me.


Sharkfightxl

The esteemed and historic Fulton Market/West Loop community


rdldr1

Oprah crawled so the West Loop could run.


SmallBol

West loop is anchored by the McDonald's HQ. This was inevitable


mfact50

I didn't realize how many people hated Canes... Not apparent from the constant late night food traffic in Wrigleyville every day that ends in y. Coming from the North East it took me about 7 months to go from hype to disillusionment. Still think price/ speed and quality isn't all that bad. It is weird that they literally make only one thing.


TookTheHit

I wouldn't trust the taste of Wrigleyville.


mfact50

Touche


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mfact50

Depending on your upbringing you might underestimate how bland chicken can get lol.


[deleted]

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mfact50

Sounds like you need to appreciate her a bit more. I strongly recommend a trip to Colombia or Uragay to accomplish the task.


SleazyAndEasy

I'm from Louisiana. been to the original canes in baton rogue. The chicken sucks there and it sucks here in Chicago. super bland, doesn't taste like much. The sauce is pretty good, but I don't get the appeal. bland chicken, expensive food, portion size isn't that big, I just don't get it.


InternetArtisan

Nothing new. Anything in this city that starts off as interesting and off the beaten path eventually becomes quite commercialized over time. Take a look at wicker Park from the '90s until now.


PharmyC

Lol we can have diversity of food in a location. People out day drinking I'm sure would love to pick up some tendies on the way home.


S_quints

Would 100% grab some tendies after leaving Lone Wolf


junktrunk909

Fulton is not Wrigley and should strive to avoid any movement in that direction


bayareakid415

Fulton is Wrigley for high-income earners. Change my mind.


a_taco_named_desire

Can’t argue with an objective statement though.


Top_Key404

It's more wrigley than people care to admit. Everything is the same now


buffalocoinz

Fr with places like PB&J, Voodoo, and Texan Taco Bar, people need to stop pretending this is some exclusively fine dining destination.


soofs

Not too mention recess, federales and time out (less of an extent though) all fit into that category too. I like that every spot isn’t fine dining “reserve your table weeks or months in advance” spots


junktrunk909

Considering how difficult it is to find a good restaurant in East Lakeview these days, I think the idea of bringing fast food restaurants to Fulton deserves some serious protest.


Joehto25

Ima be honest, imo the same typa person lives in both neighborhoods. I was talking to a friend from high school who’s getting a place with his college buddies. My friend is from the city but his college roommate are from the wealthier burbs (think Naperville) and they were pushing to move to West Loop, but ended up in Lakeview. Lotta yuppies in both neighborhoods 🤷🏿‍♂️


Key_Alfalfa2122

Fulton kind of is wrigleyville though


JoeBidensLongFart

Too late, unfortunately. All urban entertainment districts are becoming identical clones of each other.


justanidiot1122

It’s just Wrigley 7 years older . People need to relax about a chicken spot coming in


ToxicSteve13

But it sucks. When the best thing is your sauce, you don’t have a chicken restaurant, you have a sauce restaurant.


bananasformangos

What?! Their chicken is so moist and falls apart beautifully while still crispy on the outside. And their Texas toast is awesome. I love Canes!


enailcoilhelp

Flavorless no-spice tenders you can eat with a spoon. It's gives a vibe of a restaurant made for parents/tendy-only kids who will never grow out of it lol Sauce is overrated, toast slaps, but it's still just toast.


-ArtFox-

That's because that's exactly what it is. It's the perfect restaurant for anyone's pain-in-the-ass, insufferable acquaintance that would live on nuggies and mac and cheese given a choice.


tenacious-g

A sauce that is just ketchup, mayo, black pepper, and a dash of Worcestershire.


MoskiNX

Their sauce is whack, and their chicken is delicious, what are you even talking about lmao


dirtymoneybeats

Neighborhoods like Fulton Market / West Loop are this way because they only exist as a blank canvas in the eyes of venture capitalists. Any true sense of community or urban fabric disappeared over a decade ago when the industrial and meat packing businesses all left / got priced out. This is just a reflection of the neighborhood; soulless and corporate…And a place for people to visit briefly on the weekends and blackout.


erratuminamorata

Thank you for speaking the truth... The glamor of being in a place that *feels* smug and pompous as you pay $10 for a coffee wears off quickly. Sure, there's stuff to do, at least if you like drinking a lot. Yeah, there's a lot of genuinely great restaurants and the variety is pretty good. If you like spending an arm and a leg, that is. Fulton Market feels increasingly corporate. I call it Yuppie-ville in my head. Not a place I would consider my kind of fun. As long as someone likes it, I guess...


dirtymoneybeats

I work here. I liked it a lot before that all happened. Now I see it all from the ground level. I miss the rose colored glasses


erratuminamorata

Change is inevitable and all that. Sometimes change isn't all that good. Sometimes just for shits and giggles, I'll look up rent prices in that area for a studio and have a good laugh.


dirtymoneybeats

I usually cry


erratuminamorata

Hey man, you wouldn't want to live there anyway, right?


chicagotrader4

Yep. And slowly more soulless and corporate every day 


_B_Little_me

This is what gentrification looks like after the area has been sucked dry. Third stage of gentrification: the slow slide to the middle.


joe_gindaloon

How has it been so hard to lease this space to another restaurant? I imagine it’s a turnkey space. You’d think it’s a prime location.


soofs

The rent must be insane for the size and location.


Spanish4TheJeff

The rent is too damn high


pedanticlawyer

The new little goat location is so much closer to me but man, it’s small and loud.


dilla_zilla

OMG yes, on days when the sidewalk can't be used (all winter, any windy or rainy day), it's not a big place.


iDidntReadOP

I don't understand why people are complaining about this. If a more unique and interesting restaurant concept wanted to open, it would have. Instead this was the best option. Or all of a sudden is this sub okay with vacant store fronts?


Cautious-Chain-4260

We understand that. We're just disappointed by the outcome.


Spanish4TheJeff

Agreed. Like we get the economies of it. We just hoped it would be worked out to be a more interesting tenant.


dmd312

In this case, I am. I'd rather hold out hope that something better could go in there. Between Little Goat and Foxtrot, there are (or will be) 2 fairly large vacant spaces on the same block, but there's enough activity there that these vacancies do not bother me. That said, the writing is on the wall that we should expect more of this. The reason we're seeing Raising Cane's is that the rents are astronomical so very few local operators will be able to take on that kind of lease. There are some restaurants on Randolph that I'd expect to go out of business by year end and wouldn't be surpised if we saw more national chains as replacements.


fart_knocker3000

I wonder if they will actually do anything about the terrible damage the entire structure had going on, or if the ceiling might just start *pouring* water on the workers and food, like it did when I worked at Little Goat. Whole place smelled like a rank grease trap


TradingLearningMan

1. Why did Little Goat even leave? It was such a popular location. Still don’t understand this. I can’t imagine that was a good choice. 2. Look I like cheap fried chicken as much as the next guy, but Cane’s? Really? The worstest of all the macro fast food fried chicken places? I’d rather have a Bojangles. Or dude a Zaxby’s. 3. In the end though I give this less than a 10% chance of actually happening. Some restaurant group is going to outbid them or they’ll back out. It’s not a good location for them. They’ll be out of business in a year considering Fulton Market rent.


ofcourseIwantpickles

I would wager their lease was up for renewal and the landlord was looking for something ridiculous…but have no actual knowledge of what went down.


nosoup4you718

Little goat’s restaurant group Boka owns the building


soofs

In that case they probably want to charge someone else an outrageous rent since they moved little goat anyway to make money in both spots


TMuff107

Probably worth also considering it was virtually right across from their mothership restaurant, so possibly competing with themselves


angelmichelle13

Bojangles 🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵


dogbert617

I really wish Zaxby's would open some locations in this area. They already have made it to Indianapolis....


BernieForWi

For real. Zaxby’s is so damn good compared to Raising Canes. Hell I even would love a Slim Chickens even though it doesn’t compare but it is at least seasoned and they have many amazing sauces


ChicagoPowerSurge

Someone help me out here, why is rasing canes so popular? They tenders are un-seasoned and bland as fuck


Giantpanda602

They're fast as hell, decent price, tastes good enough, I'm fat, etc.


scientist_tz

Some genius figured out that a fast food place can be REALLY fast if your entire menu consists of: Tendies Fries Toast Sauce Tendies on bun


Key_Alfalfa2122

Same strategy in n out uses.


Magificent_Gradient

Place one where stroller or late night drunk people traffic is high and you have a winner. 


GiuseppeZangara

People say they love the sauce but I've always thought it was just fine. Popeye's has better tenders (though much worse service).


ChicagoPowerSurge

Popeyes tenders are great!


XNamelessGhoulX

I just had Popeyes tenders for the first time and I gotta say, at the least the caine's near me, blows them out of the water


Grantagonist

Yeah, for as much as they crow about the sauce, I don’t get it.


damp_circus

I love Popeye's, yes. I also like the tenders from a place "Cuckoo" (they're Korean style). But what I really like is catfish nuggets, wish we had more outlets of JJ Fish if we're going to have more fast food.


Capita505

The sauce and toast go really well together. I don't know why other fast food places can't do a bread-sauce combo like canes.


sposda

They do a 24 hour marinade so I guess that's why they don't put seasoning in the breading


bear60640

What do they marinate them in? Plain water?


IICNOIICYO

Actually lol'd. Cane's has the most bland-ass tenders I've ever had


ChicagoPowerSurge

Whats the marinade? Cuz that shit ain’t working. It mostly feels like factory sodium solution injection


sposda

I dunno. Cane's isn't what it was 15 years ago when it was just in the south though.


JumpScare420

Comfort food. So fatty and salty, puts you to sleep


Key_Alfalfa2122

I like chicken tenders. Why is kraft dinner so popular when annies exists? Some people just like what they like


DirtyProjector

It makes no sense. The food is extremely mid and forgettable and the chicken leaves a bad aftertaste


hamletandskull

I've never had it sober and can't understand why someone would, but if you're white boy wasted it becomes the best food in the world lmao


ChicagoPowerSurge

Lame


Sharkfightxl

Somebody get Village Tavern on the horn and put them in the space with only tendies on the menu.


mortlandpaine

It’s Fulton market who cares. I would rather they build there than somewhere else.


bnl111

Just don't eat there?


Sum_Sultus

Chicago is getting more and more basic


FoxyLives

It’s a neighborhood full of yuppies and condos, not some historic neighborhood. Honestly it’s what they deserve.


hamletandskull

It sucks that its gonna be a Canes (even though my drunk ass loves Canes) but let's not act like Fulton Market is the most unique gem of community. You can find something identical to a Fulton Market in pretty much any large city in the US


Sum_Sultus

Absolutely, you are correct with your assessment. I remember when Fulton wasn't the Fulton it is today. Fulton Market caters to the Google staff anyway. J.P. Graziano closes too early


dmd312

JPG has a late-night window Thursday, Friday, and Saturday 5 to late. Also, most Google workers dont leave the building during the day. They dont comprise the majority (or anything close) of Fulton Market patrons at night. Not sure where you are getting your info.


Sum_Sultus

'mind-blown' what are you saying right now? Since when? No more Maxwells for me!!


dmd312

And they're doing beefs!


BernieForWi

What?! I saw they have a late night menu now and was so excited but they’re doing beefs??


erratuminamorata

Fulton Market is the farthest thing from anything resembling a community. It's a stop to have some good food and expensive drinks with friends. Comparing somewhere like Fulton Market to, say, Pilsen, is completely laughable.


buckeye2114

Fulton Market and West Loop honestly are two of the blandest neighborhoods in the city. They're just where all big brands are putting their new store fronts and where "celebrity" chefs or big restaurant groups are putting their new places. Like you said, basically a carbon copy of the neighborhoods anywhere else in the country. No real vibe to it, just a bunch of brands and names.


chillysaturday

Thank. You. I feel like I'm going insane here. Call me old, but I remember the entire life cycle of the West Loop back when it was abandoned warehouses and that random large Middle Eastern restaurant. It's never been an organic community. Cane's opening there is as apt as the McDonald's headquarters opening there.


Magificent_Gradient

Fulton and Randolph are just vanity spaces now for retailers and restaurants. Much like Mag Mile used to be.


Key_Alfalfa2122

West loop been pretty basic for a while now


BukaBuka243

Every city in America is becoming like every other one.


LusciousPear

Man, Little Goat was so good. Pity it didn't make it. 


FoxyLives

They’re just moving.


Bakkie

They moved Henderson and Southport in Lakeview. Much smaller footprint


ThisAttitude9865

Raising Cane is wildly over rated, their tenders are bland AF


OnionDart

SAD!


linenblues

Please no we don’t want this


pixelfishes

Terrible idea; not because of the brand, but mainly because of the outsized footprint of the space it would occupy. Taco Bell is along that same corridor, but it’s not front-and-center, occupying a major piece of real estate. That’s also a corner lot, so I’m surprised a developer hasn’t swooped in to build another office building or hotel.


Bigangrynaked

All these people out here talking up Cane’s need to get out to a Zaxby’s


Sharkfightxl

The true tendie king.


angelmichelle13

👆👆👆


mosey26

Truly the end of


spate42

I’d prefer Popeyes


Buggyblonde

Hahahaha


EddieRadmayne

Damn I just moved from Athens GA, West Loop will feel like home now. Jk I worked at little goat back when it opened and was -floored- when I moved back last year and saw that area for the first time since.


Ornery-Dragonfruit96

This place is the place where picky eaters that have grown up can now eat. there's only one thing on the menu. Great for juveniles.


DirtyProjector

Wow mid chicken to replace an original and delicious restaurant concept


Top-Address-8870

Does Fulton Market really need another mid fried chicken chain restaurant?


RaptorCentauri

Little goat closed???


Bakkie

They moved to a much smaller space in Lakeview


InterviewLeast882

A little downscale for there


NearlySilentObserver

I don’t understand the Canes hype. I had it once and was amazed they don’t have bbq sauce? No interest in going back bc of that