Raising Cane’s is looking to continue its Chicagoland expansion with a new location coming to Mount Prospect at 915 E. Rand Rd.
Mount Prospect’s planning and zoning commission recently recommended the village board grant a conditional use permit for a drive-through location, according to the Daily Herald. While there are a few concerns, the company expects to open the 3,661-square-foot corporate location in September 2024. Customers can expect 44 indoor seats and 50 seats on the patio in the former home of Century Tile. Raising Cane’s has been rapidly expanding throughout Chicagoland, recently opening ten sites throughout the area.
While this is exciting news for the company, a handful of residents have raised concerns about the location, which already suffers from heavy traffic congestion. Those who plan to use the new Raising Cane’s drive-through will access the restaurant through a right-in, right-out entrance at Rand Road and an entrance from Albert Street. This, however, appears to be a problem for local drivers.
“The only way that you can get to the restaurant from the south, from the east, or from the west is to enter the site through Albert Street,” resident Steven Polit tells the Daily Herald, adding that drivers exiting the restaurant to go north or east also would likely take Albert.
Despite the opposition, Raising Cane’s has hired a traffic engineering firm to reduce these worries. Rory Fancler, a planner with the firm, says many of the residents’ concerns are due to existing conditions. She says there are also several improvements planned for the intersection, such as signal modifications to improve traffic flow and additional turn lanes.
