What's New Podcast - Morongo this Saturday, Julianne is back!, Raising Cane's founder Todd Graves

Episode Date: May 6, 2021

Morongo this Saturday, Julianne is back!, Raising Cane's founder Todd Graves

Hey, what's up, everybody? Thank you for checking out the feed right now. This is not officially a podcast episode. We just want to remind you that we are going to be at Morongo Casino this Saturday, May 8th from 2 to 3 p.m. So if you happen to be at Morongo, come by and see us record our podcast. We're going to have Bort there. We're going to have Rainey there. We're going to have Nick Soundwave.

What up? And we will have the infamous Heavy T in the building as well so we will have some giveaways Bort you overheard some of the giveaways I'm gonna have yep they are going to be awesome they're gonna be super legit on that

and so just make sure you come hang out if you're available all the details on our Instagram page but you don't even need that. Just Morongo Casino, 2 to 3 p.m. Be there. And don't forget, we're still doing Las Vegas, June 5th. And more details to come. We'll give you the details on that. If you want to stick around on this feed, I did get to fulfill a dream and interview the founder of Raising Cane's. He has a new TV show out. It's called Restaurant Recovery. It's on Discovery Plus. And we can listen to that

interview together right now. If you like to, I'll throw it right here. All right, before I do all that and let you hear the Todd Graves interview about Raisinges. I had to break in from my house and give you all the details on Julianne returning to iHeartRadio. You know? Yeah, I had to give you a quick call and give people the details. How are you doing, Julianne? I know, I'm so excited. I'm doing great. I couldn't be happier to be back yeah so if you didn't catch her instagram post you are joining the team at coast now coast is a radio station in los angeles if people don't know and you're thinking like oh wait a minute um julianne is joining iheart why doesn't she just join the wo show? Now, let me break it down for you. Coast is a huge radio station in Los Angeles.

They make a ton of money so they can afford to hire Julianne onto their staff. So, yeah. So, I'm really excited to have you back in the building. And hopefully, you can hop on the podcast when you can. But can you tell everybody what you're actually doing at Coast? So, I'm going to be the producer for a show called Love Songs on the Coast. And so what that show does is they take dedications for your spouses or awesome dates you've been on.

It's just a love show. So because I'm the most loving person around, they wanted me to be the producer for the show. That's awesome. So I'm kind of like a Cameron on Coast 103.5. All right, sweet. So that's going to be awesome. Yeah, but people keep asking me or telling me, I can't wait to hear you on air for just FYI.

Another kind of producer that Cameron is like, I'm not going to be on air. You can't hear me, but I'll be doing all the behind the scenes. So I'll answer all the phone calls. So if you ever wanted to call in and chat, then you'll hear me that way. Look at you, a producer now. I know. Who the fuck?

Karen Sharp, 7 p.m. to midnight on Coast. It's going down for real. 3.5. Yeah. All right. Now I'm going to switch on over to this interview that I did with the founder of Raising Cane's. His name is Todd Graves. He has an incredible story and you're going to hear about it right now.

Todd, how you doing? I'm super excited to have you on with us. Well, thank you. Thank you very much. This is good exposure for a lot of hard work in independent family restaurants. So thanks for doing it. Well, thank you. Thank you very much. This is good exposure for a lot of hard work in independent family restaurants. So thanks for doing it. Yeah, no problem. I do want to go through the history of Raising Cane's a little bit. I'm a super fan. So I hope it's okay if I talk your ear off and ask you a bunch of questions. Is that okay? Sure. Okay. Well, I just want to set

it up. Raising Cane's, the story goes, and I want to see if you can confirm it, that it all started as a college project. You came up with a business plan and it was submitted to a college and it was shot down. And then you kind of just went on your own, you know, get some loans to start the company and that got shut down. So you ended up just saving money and starting the company on your own. Is that true? Man, that is right on. But you left out one point is that I didn't have any money to save. So I had to work as a boiler maker and refineries, two of them in Los Angeles, one in El Segundo and Torrance. And then I actually went and commercial fished in Alaska and then came back at the Northgate LSU and reconstructed the

first canes with my own hands. Look, it was, the teacher said, professor said, the plan, like, the way you put it all together was great. But the concept is flawed because this is where quick service restaurants back then were going to tons of varieties of different menu items. And, like, that was the trend. It was, you need that to not get the veto vote. You need that to drive extra day part sales and all those things. And, and look, I just personally just believe in doing one thing and do it better than anybody else or try to do it better than anybody else. And that's a philosophy,

know what you know and do what you do and do it well. That's why we say raising a chicken barrier, one love, and that's really paid off for us. Yeah. Well, I want to ask you about that LSU location. So did you pick it to prove a point or you just knew that would be a really good location? Well, I mean, no, I did it because I just, you know, Baton Rouge is home for me, love LSU. And look, I was, you know, this was a college business planning class. I mean, you know, for me, I wanted to work with college students and, you know, and I wanted college students as customers.

I understood that, right? I understood what the work environment wanted, and I understood what college customers wanted. So that's what felt good to me. And thank goodness this location was available because it was so dilapidated but a pretty decent corner, and so I could do the work myself. So normally rent I couldn't afford. They're like, yeah, you get cheaper in it you fix the place up kind of thing yeah I mean it definitely paid off you're up to 530 locations now all over and uh I wanted to ask you is there any locations that you can think of or like wow I can't believe we're opening a Canes in this

location man all the time I mean all the time. I mean, all the time. Like, when you have to work so hard to do what I did to start the first restaurant, you're always appreciative. And every restaurant matters. Every crib, everybody. You know what I mean? Like, it never leaves you that way. I was very fortunate that it was hard to start because the appreciation never

leave me. But, yeah, it blows me away, right? I mean, we opened in Guam last week. Actually, that's one that I wrote down. I go, Guam? I can't believe it. I mean, look, we get to serve our military over there, and it's doing incredible. People in Guam love Canes. It blows me away. The Middle East, it's so popular in the Middle East. Things like that are just wonderful to me. Hawaii, Alaska, and we're in in 29 states now so i can't wait to get to every part of the country yeah it's nuts and i uh i know i believe you are the the elvis super fan yes or no yeah yeah yeah man i love the king i love the whole style and how he created the whole

just phenomenal yeah because i was reading that you're opening uh a racing canes in tupelo mississippi which i know is the birthplace of Elvis. So that might mean something. I had to be there. You know what I mean? I had to be there. Yeah, so that's huge. Yeah, I mean, I would get very excited every time Raising Cane's is opening.

And I'm excited because right down the street from the radio station here in Burbank, California, you're opening a Raising Cane's, and we would like to thank you for that. Oh, look, it's my pleasure. And what my promise to the community is, we're going to be a place that's going to employ people from Burbank, and they're going to have a great place to work. They're going to have advancement opportunities. Most of these people go on and do other things, right?

They either grow and be managers with us or they go do other things. And I just want them to have a good place to work and to carry it on with them. And, look, we're going to be heavily involved and giving back to the community and everything else. So we're just thrilled to be in Burbank. Yeah, and all over Los Angeles, you're expanding. I'm originally from the San Francisco Bay Area. I know all my friends are super excited.

The guy that got me my start in radio is a major fan of Raising Cane's, and he can't wait for it to open in the San Francisco Bay Area. So it's just delicious and i'll have to admit because where i live in burbank the closest one it takes me about 40 minutes to get to a raisin canes and uh so sometimes i i do look up how to make the recipe online to make the sauce and i make it at my house you know love it. I hope that's okay. Absolutely.

You got to admit, because I do it at my house too, or we'll be down somewhere vacationing or something. People are like, hey, what about some cane sauce? I'm like, I will, but in small batches you cannot match it. Also with our spice and seasoning plaques and our juice, the stuff that goes in it, people don't even have the ingredients I have in my spice pack. I got some crazy stuff.

It's like all edible, right? And say, but it's like really good. The poultry seasonings that we use in our chicken, the spices I use into the deal. It's like when you do just one thing, these quality chicken finger meals, right? You know, we can make them craveable because you make them the best you can, right? Yeah. So anyway, I love you make it at home, but in small batches, you just can't match it. It's pretty good. Definitely. It's not exactly the same, but it's pretty close. Going back to Burbank, you're now hosting a television show on Discovery Plus, and I absolutely love it.

It's called Restaurant Recovery. And the first episode, you shoot it here in Burbank for Chili John that I go to quite frequently, and it's delicious. It's amazing because you had the same thoughts that I had. Like right when I walked into Chili John's, I go, man, they should have a lot more seating. And you just go through it. You help this family out that's in debt and just fix up the restaurant. It's incredible. If people don't know about the television show, it's to help out all these restaurants that have been affected by the pandemic. And you just go from city to city. You have a bunch of celebrities that stop by.

One that really hit me was when you went to St. Louis. You went to Crown Candy Restaurant. The moment of the slicer when you help out and you bring in a new slicer. I don't want to give it away, but it was hard not to cry. I want to know if it was hard not to get emotional when shooting this television show. Oh, my gosh. You know, yeah.

And look, I need to be the strong one, right? These people have been through so much, right? And so, man, I mean, there was a lot of crying going on. I just got so touched by it. But what you're talking about St. Louis, and it's okay to talk about, but, like, that was Timmy. And that man, you know, having some challenges, he does, right, physically and things. He works his tail off, and they love him.

And they actually, you know, that family, those owners, they have him living in the apartment above the place to take care of him, right? That's awesome. And so he works hard every day, right? That's awesome. And so he works hard every day, but he was so excited. You know, his speech is kind of impediment. You know, like we couldn't speak well, but you could see his smile and the way he was just exuberant. Like he didn't have to push that slicer all day.

And this is something that these people wanted to buy for him. They didn't have the money, though. They're racking up credit card debt just keeping their people employed, right? And so that's something. But I want to tell you, man, didn't have the money though. They're racking up credit card debt, just keeping their people employed. Right. And so that's something, but I'm going to tell you, man, that feels good to do that. Like, like giving means more when you get it back, you know, just, just like helping Chili John's and Burbank. Right. I mean, this is a veteran family, right. In a legendary restaurant, Chili John's that Walt Disney used to go to one of Walt Disney's favorite restaurants. I mean, these places need to be preserved. Absolutely. You also went to, you know, your hometown.

You went to Poor Boy Lloyd's, which I need to visit immediately. It looks like some great Cajun food by a great Cajun family, right? Yeah. And you had that episode with Shaq, which was awesome. And it reminded me because we also, I mean, our show, The Woody Show, we broadcast in the area. So I've been to New Orleans many times. And it reminded me of a place. I want to know if you've ever been to it. And I'm going to butcher

their name, but it is so good. It was Louie Zaz by the track. Have you heard of it? Lausa. Lausa is on the track, of course. It's another legendary restaurant. That place is so good. And I practiced that name a hundred times before this interview, and I knew I was going to get it wrong. Legendary Restaurant. And then I did another legendary restaurant there, Dom Elise's, right? The Dom Elise family in uptown New Orleans, legendary pool boys. But look, what happens is these restaurants going into these restaurants, they're all good restaurant owners. And they do a famous job, and they take care of the crew, they take care of the customers.

But they couldn't have prepared for this pandemic. Yeah. They could not have prepared for it. So, helping out, this is a feel-good show. This is not going in and saying, you're doing this wrong, this wrong, this wrong. This is like, let me help you through this pandemic. Like, so, Chili John's, imagine most of their business came from, you know, in Burbank, the film industry, right? Yeah.

People filmed in there, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Quentin Tarantino, you know, and then the people from the industry ate lunch there and then picked up food there at night before they left. Well, that shut down immediately. All filming halted. So their business goes down like 80% and they're losing money, racking up credit card debt. So I was able to do things to keep them afloat that they just couldn't think of when you're trying to, when you're racking up credit card debt, you're scared because you have to take care of your daughters. And I could think and say, let's do a car hop out back. And then I could also call my friend Snoop to come in and kick it off and drive one of those classic cars in the here to do it, you know? And so anyway, we did some good things.

I think it really helped their business. Yeah, no, I definitely think that you did. Can I say this? I think you're actually a really good television host. Did you have any broadcast training at all? No, no, no. You know what? Why I'm, and I appreciate you're actually a really good television host. Did you have any broadcast training at all? No, no, no. You know what? Why I'm the, and I appreciate you saying that.

Why, why this felt normal was it's in my wheelhouse, right? It's, I love the restaurant industry. I love the people in the industry. So I was very comfortable and very excited to talk to them. Like put me on a different show that doesn't involve that. I probably, probably would probably do terrible. No, I think you did a great job. And it got me to thinking that, you know, when you're done with this show, that you

should continue doing some shows. I would like to pitch some show ideas for you. Feel free to use them. All right. Tell me what you think. And I'll tell you why. Okay. So my first pitch idea is brand revival. Now, okay. So here's the concept

of the TV show that, you know, there's a lot of chains out there that had their heyday, but for some reason they got bought by another company or, you know, for some reason there was managed poorly, but they're still like a really good chain restaurants. They're just not at the heyday that they once were. I think that you should go in and help some of these brands revive themselves. So that's show one. I don't know if you like that one, but I'm pitching it. All right. So show two, we would call it franchise rise. Now here's the thing. There's some of these franchises that they're just regional and you know, they're super good, but for some reason they never hit California. I'm sure for a guy that can take one restaurant oh good yeah i like them both let's do it okay cool good um i want to talk about your social media as well your social media is really really

good and you're huge into sports is there going to be any um sports ownership in your future that's hilarious i've never been asked that question no no i'm no i'm good i just have a big fan big fan though right so i'm just a big fan, though, right? Yeah. I'm just a big fan. I mean, I like it all. So I just absolutely love sports and love the players. And anyway, some of them I had on the show, right? Yeah, no, I enjoy your interviews that you do on social media with some of the players.

Some of the montage videos that you do with some of the players are just like having fun and hanging out. So I just thought like, you know, I mean, some of these kids going to the draft is really fun because it's catching them in a place in time. Right. Yeah. And so like,

like, let's say, let's put it this way. Like last year, Clyde Edwards, a layer, right. He's going into the draft and talking to him before about how he feels about it.

Then he goes, he actually goes to the end of the front or first round. Then he gets to play the chiefs and then he becomes a starter. And so like, I talked to Clyde, like, actually, we might go fishing this weekend. And it's like to see – but we captured him that time, right? And so that's fun for me because these people, most of them, go on to be superstars, right? And it's cool to see them when they're still young men before they've hit the big league. No, it's awesome.

That's why I thought, like, oh, you know what? I see him being a part owner of, like, a team that you're really passionate about one day you never know you never know you never know yeah i mean if you do i feel free to give me tickets to wherever you're at because uh we do enjoy some live sporting events you got it um you got it i just want to ask you one last question before we go um for somebody that's starting a brand, you know, have any ideas on getting the word out there if they don't have any budget for marketing, what would be the best advice you could give? Yeah, that's a great question. This is the best time ever for free marketing, you know, that gets out there. Social media is just the greatest way

and the cheapest way to get your word out there you just have to do things that are interesting right and so like for example uh poor boy lloyds here in baton rouge we got a muralist here in baton rouge for very cheap you know this the artist wanted their artwork up very cheap to do a mural and we did like the angel wings but we did crawfish claws and put that up for them to have some free marketing right well people and we did like the angel wings but we did crawfish claws and put that up for them to have some free marketing right well people and we put the hashtag poor boy lloyds and all this people have been going like crazy to go down and take their picture there right all free and people are coming in but then they're sending it around to their to all their people and telling them

about it so for me is doing clever ideas to get your word out on social media, uh, showing. So whatever concept it is, show your products, but do it an interesting way. Uh, and if you're not creative, ask all your creative friends. And, um, it's the best time if you don't have a budget to actually market your restaurant. It's awesome. Well, I I'm enjoying the show discovery plus restaurant recovery. Everybody should watch it. Make sure you have some Kleenex because it will get emotional at times, pretty much probably every episode. But I love what you're doing and helping out so many people. And I'm excited about all the expansion around here and everywhere for Raising Cane's.

Well, Minnis, thanks so much for the exposure, for the show, and these great people, these great restaurateurs. I think not only for them, if just people watch the show, we all need to do our part to support small business, independent, family-owned businesses. Look, us chains, like Raising Cane's, we have so many resources.

We have huge marketing budgets. We have big, shiny buildings and you just see it. Well, the neighborhood places, you've got to remember to go to them because they have character, they have a soul. And if we don't, they'll go out of business and never comes back. And we lose that and it's going to be replaced by a high rise

or it's going to be replaced by a chain and we don't need more of those. So we all need to think consciously to support small business. Oh, I have one other question. We don't have to use it for the interview. One of my friends is convinced, convinced that there's something a little bit

different with the raisin cane sauces in las vegas is that true or not true no no it's hilarious we get that everywhere they're like it tastes different i'm telling you it's the same yeah i'm telling you yeah we get it everywhere people are the same way hey this is because especially new markets are like look i'm from louisiana and this chicago cane sauce People are the same way. Hey, this is, cause especially new markets are like, look, I'm from Louisiana and this Chicago canes also not the same. The toast isn't the same, but like the toast is exactly the same. Yeah. Okay.

See, I can't wait to give her this audio and tell her that she's out of her mind. Thank you so much. And hopefully I don't bother you too much on social media. I am, I'm menace on Instagram and I, uh, I comment a lot when you do your live streams. I do comment on there as well. You can, you can block me if I'm doingace on Instagram And I comment a lot When you do your live streams

I do comment on there as well You can block me if I'm doing too much No, no, man I appreciate it, that helps to get enthusiasm I really do It was great talking with you And if you ever need us to shout out anything Feel free to reach out, no problem

Yeah, yeah, yeah, if you have anything in the future you want me to come on for Just let me know Alright, sounds good Okay, man, thanks, bye