Folks hoping to win free chicken finger meals for a year started lining up early Monday morning at the Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers restaurant on Highway 80 East in anticipation of the grand opening.

And at 9 a.m., Statesboro restaurant leader Joey Baylor cut the ribbon with assistance from John Roach, chair for the Board of Directors for the Statesboro-Bulloch Chamber of Commerce and South Region president for Vallant Bank.

"Statesboro has a true hometown feel with a close-knit, family-oriented community that's been incredibly welcoming,” Baylor said. “We're proud to bring Raising Cane's here and look forward to contributing to the community's continued growth for years to come."

As the newest Cane’s to open, Statesboro is one of more than 1,000 locations across the nation, with about 50 more expected to open before the end of 2026. The local restaurant has about 165 employees.

Also, as part of the opening ceremonies, Raising Cane's donated $1,000 to the Center for Wildlife Education at Georgia Southern, with executive director Steve Hein accepting the gift.

Demolition of the old Applebee’s restaurant property next to the Ole Times Country Buffet began at the beginning of February, clearing the way for the construction of the restaurant. Raising Cane’s built the 2,700-square-foot restaurant on the 1.53-acre lot where Applebee’s operated from 1999-2017. The site had been vacant since 2017.

Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers was founded in 1996 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, by Todd Graves. Raising Cane's staple is chicken fingers – the only main course available on the menu. The chicken fingers are also part of a sandwich, and combos that include fries and coleslaw.