Todd Graves (entrepreneur)


Todd Graves is the founder of Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers, a quick-service restaurant that specializes in fried chicken finger meals. Graves, along with Craig Silvey, founded the restaurant in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in 1996. Graves graduated from Episcopal High School in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Early life and education

Graves was born in New Orleans and raised in Baton Rouge. He studied telecommunications and business at Louisiana State University and graduated in 1994.

Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers

Graves and fellow LSU business student Craig Silvey used Silvey's business plan course to test their business plan. The project received a C- in the class, and the professor commented that a chicken-fingers-only business could never succeed. The two couldn't persuade bankers to fund the restaurant idea, so Graves worked at a refinery and then joined Silvey as a salmon fisherman to raise the money to open the first restaurant, which opened right outside the north gates of Louisiana State University on Highland Road in 1996.
Graves opened Raising Cane's in 1996. Over the next 20 years, Graves would oversee the company expansion to more than 325 in the US and more than $700 Million in annual sales.
The restaurants are named after Graves' dog. They are headquartered in Baton Rouge.

Personal life

Todd and his wife, Gwen, have two children and reside in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Awards & recognition

Graves has also been named an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2008 award winner. The Louisiana Restaurant Association named him Restaurateur Of The Year in 2012 and Louisiana Life magazine named him Louisianan Of The Year in 2013.

Philanthropy

As of 2012 Raising Cane's and its franchisees donated more than US$1 million yearly to colleges and community-based charitable organizations.

''Secret Millionaire''

Graves was selected to participate in the Fox Broadcasting version of the reality television show, Secret Millionaire in 2008. The show follows a group of individual millionaires from across the country who leave their affluent lifestyle to go undercover to experience life in some of the most impoverished communities that need help the most.