There are approximately 3,000 Chick-Fil-A restaurants across America. There are some 700 Raising Cane’s establishments across the United States. Recently, Marion, Illinois, has opened locations of both these restaurants. With these new places, traffic has vastly increased, alongside new job opportunities. Both restaurants brand themselves around fried chicken, but both have different atmospheres as brands. Because of this, they are often pitted against each other as rivals.
But how do they compare, and how do HHS students feel about both restaurants? To investigate, the Tiger Tattler sent Parker Coop (11) to Raising Cane’s and Caden Green (12) to Chick-Fil-A.
When one enters, one would notice that Raising Cane’s interior is filled with local memorabilia of sports teams and other groups, along with interesting art and pictures. The interior is painted with warm and welcoming colors that make it feel inviting to stay and eat. The building has a nice layout making it easy to find a table, the bathroom, or the mobile order pick up station without getting in anyone’s way. I believe due to Raising Cane’s unique interior decoration as well as the nice layout and warm colors, it scores a 4/5 for the interior.
Both restaurants are fast-food options. Customers are not meant to sit down at a table to enjoy slow supper. For this reason, the Chick-Fil-A (though clean) still reads somewhat cool and distant. There is a lack of color, and the sharp “L” shape of the Marion location’s order and seating stations cuts off any possible gentle flow of the shape of the building.
However, Chick-Fil-A offers a child’s play area, giving a rush of life into the building. Without the play area, I would have given Chick-Fil-A a 2.5/5, but I believe the addition of such a space warrants a 3/5. But either way, customers can easily disregard the quality of the interior in light of the quality of price.
The average price of the five different combo meals at Raising Cane’s is $10.48, which isn’t bad when compared to some fast food restaurants’ modern pricing. However, with the average price only being slightly lower than an hour’s worth of work at a minimum wage job, it makes it unaffordable for many who are working minimum wage jobs if they order from Raising Cane’s frequently. I would have to give Raising Cane’s a 3.5/5 for their somewhat fair pricing.
Every Medium Chick-Fil-A dinner meal came to an average price of $10.85, which is affordable, though a far cry from the days of Five Dollar Footlongs and three dollar bundles. Though the average price is less than an hour’s work in Illinois (if one is 18+), I would still call it unaffordable if bought in excess. Because of this, I would give Chick-Fil-A a score of 3.5/5 in a price index.
With both restaurants receiving equal price grades, the two journalists had to evaluate the quality and variety of food in regards to the price.
Although Raising Cane’s has a reputation for being great, there is a massive lack of variety. The menu’s only offer other than chicken strips is a sandwich made with the same tenders, instead of a big piece of fried chicken like at Chick-Fil-A. Raising Cane’s also only offers fried chicken: there is no option for grilled chicken like at Chick-Fil-A. For the sides, every order comes with fries and a piece of bread, but the bigger boxes also come with coleslaw. While Raising Cane’s has a reputation for its great food, they do not have a great variety. Because of the major lack in variety Raising Cane’s only gets a 2/5 for their variety.
While both restaurants are known for specializing in chicken, Chick-Fil-A stands out with a greater selection of food available. While Raising Cane’s has only a difference in quantities of the same thing (chicken tenders, fries, bread, cole slaw, Cane’s Sauce), Chick-Fil-A offers breakfast items alongside both grilled and fried chicken available in nuggets and sandwiches. Chick-Fil-A is unique for offering grilled chicken, a rather healthy option for the fast food world.
Chick-Fil-A is known for their classic sandwich of a bun, fried chicken patty, and pickles. However, they offer spicy sandwiches, club sandwiches, deluxe sandwiches, and wraps.
Past the major entrées, Chick-Fil-A boasts a variety of salads, which Raising Cane’s does not offer. For sides, the trinity of Chick-Fil-A sides would be, among some others unmentioned: waffle fries, macaroni and cheese, and a side salad (or a kale salad). For dipping, Chick-Fil-A offers 15 different sauces, chief among them their iconic Chick-Fil-A Sauce.
In terms of a chicken-only restaurant, the variety offered warrants a 4.5/5.
Alongside variety, the service at Raising Cane’s doesn’t stick out as special for any reason. There is nothing that makes the service exceptionally good or bad. The only major problem is the drive-through is way too slow to consider as an option if you are in a hurry. However the line on the inside seems to always be moving which helps to make up for the slowness of the drive-through.
Raising Cane’s also has a mobile pick-up station which allows for you to quickly pick up your food if you order ahead of time on the app. The Raising Cane’s mobile app is extremely easy to use and offers all that I would expect it to.
Overall, I’d give Raising Cane’s service a 3.5/5 for it’s easy and intuitive mobile app and quick inside service, but their slow drive-through brings them down from possibly scoring higher.
Down the road, Chick-Fil-A employees are well-renowned for their “my pleasure”s accompanying every “thank you.” Wildly popular for their service, Chick-Fil-A workers are known to be diligent, attentive, and respectful. Though the fast-food experience prevents the one-on-one connection found in slow dining restaurants, Chick-Fil-A’s workers still work to warrant the company a perfect grade (5/5) in terms of fast-food service as Chick-Fil-A workers are always found attending to customers and cleaning the restaurant.
Raising Cane’s chicken has a consistent high quality that you can expect each visit. The chicken is always hot with a crisp, crunchy texture. Although the chicken has a consistently great texture, the flavor falls short. The chicken, if eaten on its own, lacks a lot of flavor, however it does pair perfectly with Cane’s sauce. The chicken would score a 3.5/5 for its consistently high quality texture but underwhelming flavor, but because it comes paired with the cane’s sauce it scores a 4.5/5.
Unfortunately, like most fast food restaurants, the fries tend to be very hit or miss. If you get the fries while they’re hot and fresh they are some of the best fast food fries you can get. But whenever they aren’t fresh they tend to get soggy and sad fast. Because of this problem, the only way to count on the fries being consistently good is if you never get food to go. When eating in-store the fries are always fresh but whether it’s due to poor packaging or some other problem, the fries when taken to go tend to drop in quality fast. Due to the lack of consistency with the fries, Raising Cane’s scores a 3/5 for their sometimes good flavor and texture but lack of consistency.
Raising Cane’s chicken has a consistent high quality that you can expect each visit. The chicken is always hot with a crisp, crunchy texture. Unfortunately, like most fast food restaurants, the fries tend to be very hit or miss. If you get the fries while they’re hot and fresh they are some of the best fast food fries you can get.
But whenever they aren’t fresh they tend to get soggy and sad fast. Because of this problem, the only way to count on the fries being consistently good is if you never get food to go. When eating in-store the fries are always fresh but whether it’s due to poor packaging or some other problem, the fries when taken to go tend to drop in quality fast. Due to the lack of consistency with the fries, Raising Cane’s scores a 3/5 for their sometimes good flavor and texture but lack of consistency.
For Drinks, Raising Cane’s offers a wide variety of sodas, tea, and lemonade. The tea is brewed fresh every day, and the lemonade is made daily with freshly squeezed lemons. The tea is always the perfect amount of sweetness where it is never too sweet or not sweet enough.
Their lemonade is always a good refreshing choice for any hot day. And as far as sodas go, they offer coke products with a self-serve machine right by the tea and lemonade. For the great tea and lemonade, as well as a good variety of sodas, Raising Cane’s scores a 3.5/5.
One of the biggest praise’s for Chick-Fil-A is its quality — food can consistently be relied upon to come out fresh and hot, the sandwiches with tin wrappers to keep them hot. Additionally, the chain prides itself on using real chicken breast without any hormones, fillers, or steroids. This chicken is then breaded in-hand, in-store daily, alongside the daily-made salads and three-ingredient lemonade (according to their website).
In terms of its chicken, Chick-Fil-A variety (grilled or fried, sandwiches or nuggets or tenders, in a salad, and in a wrap) and quality (both mentioned above) warrant a 4.5/5. As I have said, the chicken can be counted on to be fresh, hot and moist.
However, Chick-Fil-A rather falls short when it comes to their French fries. They offer waffle fries — which are a rare sight in fast food fries (one would mostly see crinkle cut, julienne, or steak fries) but have a tendency to group together in a small handful of huge fries at the top, followed by a mound of crumbs. Additionally, as with all fast food fries, if they are not hot, fresh, and salty, they are not good. I find that Chick-Fil-A waffle fries are often bland, so they are best suited as vessels for sauce. If one were to get a side, I would highly recommend the macaroni and cheese option. It’s a bit more expensive, but is warm, cheesy, and topped with a layer of broiled cheese. Because of this, I would grade the Chick-Fil-A fries with a 3/5.
For drinks, Chick-Fil-A offers the usual fountain drinks alongside their own recipes of sweet tea and lemonade. Their lemonade is, I think, their best drink — fresh, light, sweet, but not to the extent of overpowering the lemon. So, I rank Chick-Fil-A drinks with a 4/5.
However, it is important to note that in 2024, Chick-Fil-A switched from a “No Antibiotics Ever” policy to a “No Antibiotics Important to Human Medicine” policy. This means that poultry was treated with antibiotics related to the health of itself and other birds. There is some discourse related to whether or not such meat is adverse to human health. Personally, I think the simple but elevated quality of Chick-Fil-A food and drink still warrants it a 4.5/5.
In the end, Chick-Fil-A walks away with an average grade of 0.82, or 82%.
In total, Raising Cane’s gets an average grade of 0.74, or 74%.
But our opinions are only two out of 200. These 200 come from the HHS students interviewed on various aspects of Chick-Fil-A and Raising Cane’s. More HHS students and staff go to Chick-Fil-A than they go to Raising Cane’s. This crowd also believes that Chick-Fil-A has better fried chicken, and overwhelmingly better fries and drink selection. But, they believe that Cane’s Sauce and bread is better than Chick-Fil-A Sauce and brioche buns.
Overall, both restaurants have pros and cons to them. Both are beloved by their patrons, and it really comes down to your own opinions on which one is your favorite.
