Why Some Employees Think Raising Cane's Has A Food Waste Problem

Raising Cane's is an incredibly popular restaurant for a place that pretty much only sells chicken fingers and a few other menu items you may not know about. However, some self–identified employees of the fast food establishment have shed light on an apparent food waste issue. One Reddit user got real about the amount of waste they saw during their training, noting that any meals made as an example for trainees were simply thrown out, and said, "So on average, 5 to maybe 20 meals in 2 days, if not more, in the kitchen were wasted." Commenters on the thread informed the poster that this is a common occurrence at the restaurant.

A Redditor gave an estimate of the amount of waste, sharing, "I've worked here for years at multiple restaurants, and all Cane's waste a minimum of 20lbs of food per day, usually much, much more than that of just the bird and fries." While the waste from Raising Cane's is shocking, the U.S. wastes around 60 million tons of food every year. 

Some users made suggestions on how the waste could be reduced, like donating the food to local food banks. Though some commenters added that fast food restaurants donating food can be a tricky process and noted that there may be legal problems if the food makes someone ill. Some grocery stores donate their unsold food items, but is that something a restaurant like Raising Cane's can do to reduce waste?

While Raising Cane's and other restaurants waste food, nearly 14% of American households were experiencing food insecurity in 2024. And the legalities of food donations have long been a roadblock that many business owners are afraid to approach. However, a federal law called the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act of 1996 was put in place to protect those who donate food to non-profits that distribute food to people in need. The food must be donated under the belief that it is still good to eat in order to be covered under the Good Samaritan law. Restaurants, including fast food, are covered by the law.

Fast food restaurants like Chick-fil-A donate leftover chicken to reduce waste via the company's Shared Table program. McDonald's has also partnered with Food Donation Connection and The Global FoodBanking Network so that franchises can donate excess food in more than 100 countries. As for Raising Cane's, in a different Reddit thread, one commenter suggested bringing the waste problem to the top, a.k.a. the company's CEO, Todd Graves. "Someone tag Todd Graves in this; he puts himself out there as the type of CEO that would listen to this." Ultimately, many restaurants likely have a food waste problem and have a responsibility to minimize the already staggering numbers.