New Eatery Planned for Former Macaroni Grill

By spring 2022, a new drive-thru restaurant is expected to open on Commerce Boulevard where the shuttered Macaroni Grill is currently located.

Once open, the 3,329-square-foot Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers will employ “in excess” of 50 workers, according to Mike Meginniss, an attorney for the developer.

The Falls Township Board of Supervisors granted preliminary and final land development approval during Monday night’s hybrid meeting for the demolition of the 7,582-square-foot Macaroni Grill and construction of the brand-new chicken tender restaurant, which will feature indoor seating, as well as a 541-square-foot patio canopy and two drive-thru lanes. The Falls Township location will be one of the newest for the Louisiana-based chain, which operates more than 500 locations throughout the country.

“They are a very impressive organization,” Meginniss said of Raising Cane’s, adding that the company created a COVID Relief Fund to assist employees struggling during the pandemic and have not laid off any workers. “They pride themselves on being a local business, getting involved in the local community.”

The Supervisors voiced support for the new eatery, which will be situated at the intersection of Oxford Valley Road and Commerce Boulevard and adjacent to Outback Steakhouse.

“I’m happy to get another restaurant in there,” Supervisor John Palmer said. “The site is perfectly suitable for this type of establishment.”

The site has been vacant since March 2020, according to Meginniss.

“All of us are happy to see that building get filled,” Supervisors Vice Chairman Jeff Boraski said. “It’s a really nice location.”

While Raising Cane’s is a fast-food restaurant with essentially one item on its menu – chicken tenders – Meginniss described the eatery as pulling out all stops to offer a “very aesthetically pleasing” outdoor dining option, adding that the company spends a “significant investment” on the outdoor seating area.

Based on a traffic analysis and comparative data from similar Raising Cane’s, the fast-food chain has no more than 22 cars in the drive-thru que, even during its busiest times of day. The drive-thru at the Falls Township location would be able to handle more than 30 vehicles at a time in its two drive-thru lanes.

Since Raising Cane’s only offers chicken tenders (with sides and drinks), the food preparation is even faster than other fast-food restaurants, Meginniss said. On average, it takes a customer two-and-a-half minutes to place an order and pick up their food, he said.