Cane III was born to be a star. That was made clear to her owner, founder and CEO of Raising Cane’s Todd Graves, years ago at Mardi Gras. Holding up the then puppy like Mufasa lifting Simba up for the animal kingdom to meet the future king, a new beloved mascot was crowned.
“I lifted her up and all these people got up. They’re all clapping, and she just sat there, looking at everyone. All that roaring, and she just sat there,” Graves recalls proudly over Zoom. “I was like, ‘Okay, she’s maybe going to be the best [mascot] we’ve ever had.’”
Other than the famed fried chicken tenders, of course, Cane III is one of the main draws to Raising Cane’s. Customers love her, she’s a celeb favorite (“She resonated with Snoop [Dogg],” Graves says. “She would follow him and just wanted to stick by his side”), and she’s a social media influencer in her own right, with over 100,000 followers on Instagram. A true Sagittarius, who is turning nine this year on November 27, the Labrador relishes the spotlight, is a natural in front of any camera, and just loves to be around people. Graves says that she’s frequently recognized out in public and always ready to “come up and love on you.”
Cane III follows a legacy of other Canes before her, Cane I and Cane II. Each dog brought something unique to their role as mascot and helped define what the company would stand for today.
Cane I, the dog the restaurant is named after, was a ball of energy. Graves describes him as a playful dog who loved dressing up in props and making everyone laugh while wearing sunglasses. When brainstorming restaurant name ideas with a friend before opening the first location in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in 1996, Graves wanted to go with “Sockeye’s” as an ode to his time fishing commercial salmon. But that friend was wise enough to steer Graves in a better direction.
“He was like, ‘No one wants to tell you, but that name [Sockeye’s] really sucks,’” Graves says laughing. “He goes, ‘Y’all didn’t name it after your dog? Maybe Raising Cane’s, that’d be fun.’ And I was like ‘You know what? That’s a good idea.’”
When Cane I passed, Graves didn’t get a second dog right away. It took a couple of years before his wife, Gwen, surprised him with a puppy to continue Cane I’s legacy. Named Cane II, the new Lab was a calming force, Graves says, and a certified pet therapy dog who would often visit sick kids to help make them feel a little bit better. “My favorite memories with [Cane II] were going to children’s hospitals with her and my wife. Cane II could jump in bed with a child on IVs (and sometimes feeding tubes), and she would know to jump on the edge of the bed and scoot up. It was just amazing to watch,” says Graves.
