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New Eateries Coming to Lakewood

By Tammye McDuff

The city of Lakewood will be adding to the wonderful variety of eateries and restaurants that residents have to choose from. Three new chains: Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers, Piggie’s Adobo Taco Bar and Dickie’s Barbecue Pit will soon become local favorites for residents.

Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers, the popular Louisiana-based company, boasts over 300 restaurants nationwide. This newest addition will construct a new building on the former site of the Elephant Bar which was located at Restaurant Row on Candlewood Street. As the story goes, Cane’s was a college dream, a vision of a restaurant that served the highest quality, freshest chicken finger meals – and nothing else. From this, Todd Graves created a business plan, which, ironically, earned the lowest grade in the class. The professor said a restaurant serving only chicken fingers would never work. The undaunted young entrepreneur received negative responses to his concept which finally found Graves returning to Baton Rouge, where he reconstructed an old building with his own hands, bringing to life the first ‘Raising Cane’s’ restaurant. In a moment of inspiration, he even named the restaurant after his yellow lab …Raising Cane. Graves’s entrepreneurial spirit has been recognized in Nations Restaurant News, Chain Leader, Rolling Stone and USA Today. He has appeared on numerous news networks and featured in Entrepreneur’s Young Millionaires cover story. In 2008, Graves was named an Ernst & Young “Entrepreneur of the Year” and in 2010 he was awarded the SCORE Award for Outstanding Socially Progressive Business.

The independent restaurant Piggie’s Adobo Taco Bar will also open a new site on the corner of Paramount Boulevard and Carson Street. According to Lakewood Connect eMagazine “Piggie’s will continue serving the traditional adobo favorites like carne asada and barbacoa, Piggie’s will feature tofu and veggie tacos as well as breakfast, including bacon, ham or tofu burritos and bowls.”

Dickey’s Barbecue Pit will open on the corner of Candlewood Street and Clark Avenue. Dickey’s Barbecue has been a Texas favorite since 1941. Through explosive growth in franchising, the home-grown fare now has over 600 locations in 43 states. Dickey was a true Texas character blessed with the gift of gab and the love of authentic, slow-smoked barbecue. In the beginning, Dickey’s Barbecue Pit was truly a family operation with Travis working the block and Miss Ollie Dickey serving sandwiches. The brand has come a long way from Travis Dickey’s first location. But, some things never change. Dickey’s Barbecue Pit still slow smokes all meats on-site just the same way they did in 1941. The menu features beef brisket, pulled pork, St. Louis style ribs, polish sausage, spicy cheddar sausage, smoked turkey, and marinated chicken, with an extensive array of home style sides from jalapeño beans to macaroni and cheese.