The opening of Raising Cane’s in Coral Gables has quickly become one of the most talked-about things among MAST students. From social media exploding, to opening day crowds, the new fast-food spot is making an impact on plans.
“Raising Cane’s is a popular place and a lot of students were already talking about it,” freshman Lucas Rebolledo said. While he was excited from the start, he explained that “The hype and popularity built over time as more people at school and on social media started mentioning it.”
Lucas believes the new restaurant could change students’ routines. “I think it will change where students go after school because many will want to try the new place instead of the usual spots.” He also sees it becoming a popular gathering place: “Yes, I think it could become a regular hangout spot since it’s trendy, not that far from MAST academy, and a fun place to eat with friends after school for people that live outside of the key.”
Social media played a big role in building fame for this new Canes. Sophomore Johan Reyes, mentioned that , “Yeah, I saw a bunch of TikToks and Instagram posts about it and it like made me wanna go super badly.” He added, “For sure, all the posts made me want to check it out even more and I was excited to go.”
Reyes attended on opening day, despite the heavy lines and big crowds. “The lines were really long to be honest, but I’m glad I got to go and like do the experience you know? It was actually really fun because I went on its opening day… Honestly like, it lived up to the hype and like it was just as fun and busy as I expected.”
For some students, the Coral Gables location wasn’t their first experience with the popular chicken finger chain. Amaury Velez, a freshman, said, “Yes I’ve tried Raising Cane’s three times before this location opened.” Even though he’s gone multiple times, he was influenced by the growing trend online. “What made me check our Cane’s was because it was starting to get popular on social media so I decided to give it a try, and it was a great experience because me and my dad got to enjoy really good food.”
“After trying it for the first time at that location, I realized that it was worth the hype for sure, the food was really good especially the chicken is well done. and the sauce didn’t let me down either. Everything was really amazing.” He strongly encourages others to go as well. “I would recommend it to other students because it was all worth the hype and I feel like everyone will get to enjoy this delicious food especially the chicken and the sauce, they both make a great combo,” Velez shares.
Gabriella Rodriguez, a sophomore, also shared her thoughts on the opening. “Yeah, I was pretty excited when I heard it was opening, I went with all my friends, and it was a really good experience.” She believes the area benefits with the new addition. “Yes, I think Coral Gables could use another fast-food spot like Cane’s because we needed a closer Cane’s to us.”
However, Rodriguez also noted a possible downside. “I think it’s cool for students to go after school, but it might get super crowded, it’s also kind of far from MAST.”
Overall, the opening of Raising Cane’s in Coral Gables has created a major buzz among students. Fueled by social media and word of mouth, the restaurant appears to have lived up to expectations. Whether it becomes a long-term hangout spot remains to be seen, but for now, it’s clear that Raising Cane’s is the new place many students are excited to try.