The town of Schererville is learning more about plans to replace the former T.G.I. Friday's with a Raising Cane's.
Debbie Stosz with Premier Design Group told the plan commission on Monday that Raising Cane's plans to tear down the existing building on U.S. 41 and replace it with a 3,400-square-foot fast food chicken restaurant. It will include 46 indoor seats, 16 outdoor seats and a double drive-through with stacking space for 26 cars.
"Cane's prides themself on being one of the quickest in the business, as far as, once you place your order and you pick it up, it's typically under three minutes," Stosz said.
Stosz said the restaurant can fill orders quickly since it only has four menu items. Stosz said it often hires off-duty police to handle the traffic at new locations.
The biggest sticking point had to do with signage. Raising Cane's prefers to have a 20-foot pylon sign in front of its restaurants, but the town of Schererville only allows an eight-foot "monument" sign. Plan commission members didn't think it would be fair to other restaurants to waive that requirement.
Additionally, the outdoor dining patio will have to be surrounded by bollards, something not in the original plans.
The plan commission is expected to consider the plans at its June 2 meeting. The town council approved a variance to allow the drive-through lanes last week. The project architect thinks the new restaurant could be ready to open in early 2026.
