A Billionaire's Beginnings: Touring Raising Cane's First HQ With Todd Graves

Key Concepts:

• Raisin' Canes: The fast-food restaurant chain founded by the speaker.
• First Corporate Office: The speaker's apartment, which served as the initial headquarters for Raisin' Canes.
• Fanaticism: A key personal philosophy of the founder, emphasizing intense pursuit of a vision.
• Roots/History: The importance of remembering and documenting the company's humble beginnings.
• Documentation: The act of preserving artifacts, photos, and stories from the company's early days.
• Lolex: An old-fashioned Rolodex-like system used for contact management before cell phones.

The Apartment as Raisin' Canes' First Corporate Office The speaker details his apartment, which served as the original corporate office for Raisin' Canes during its foundational years. Strategically located to overlook the first restaurant, it allowed him to monitor operations during breaks. Due to the demands of the nascent business, the apartment's layout was significantly altered: the bed was moved into the living room to accommodate multiple workstations, and the kitchen area was converted into an office space. The founder often closed the restaurant at 5:00 AM, requiring sleep, but by 7:00 AM, staff would arrive to handle payroll and other tasks in the apartment. This setup highlights the intense, round-the-clock dedication required in the early stages of the business.

Preserving History and Lore The apartment was filled with original or meticulously recreated items from that era, which the founder later realized became crucial parts of the company's "lore." These included old TVs, a VCR, vintage movies, and numerous old pictures. He expressed gratitude for his personal tendency to keep such mementos, stating, "I'm so glad I had track with it because I never thought we'd be telling the story later." He initially thought he would only have one restaurant. These artifacts now serve as a tangible connection to the company's origins for thousands of restaurant managers and employees, helping to convey the founding story.

Early Business Tools and Artifacts The makeshift office utilized technology and tools typical of the time. This included large, old computer screens and original business cards, such as one for "Todd Graves" with no title, later evolving to "fract cashier." The founder also displayed inspirational quotes, including a personal original statement: "Nothing ever happens unless someone pursues a vision fanatically." This "fanaticism" was a driving force behind the company's success. Other specific items mentioned were Dixie beer and a desk given to him by his mother, which he used in the office. The "bedroom," originally intended as such, was converted into an office where three people worked on computers. They used a "Lolex" (a Rolodex-like device) to keep track of names and numbers, as cell phones were not yet prevalent. Some items were recreated, while others were kept in storage.

The "Typical Day" and Company Roots A significant element on the wall was a poster detailing "a typical day" in the early operations. The founder emphasized its importance for current managers and staff at the restaurant support office to see "where we started. This is our roots. We're growing, but we're still these type people." This visual reminder reinforces the company's humble beginnings and core values, even as it expands.

The Toll of Early Entrepreneurship and Moving On The founder eventually moved out of the apartment a couple of years after opening the first restaurant. The intense work schedule and constant proximity to the business led to significant anxiety; he would "literally go to bed some nights and I'd wake up in the middle of the night hearing an order and get frantically like be frying chicken in my sleep or like wait I'm not taking the drive-through order." With the restaurant open until 3:30 AM nightly, he moved down the street to gain some separation and peace when not actively working.

Synthesis and Conclusion The narrative powerfully illustrates the grit, resourcefulness, and personal sacrifice involved in launching Raisin' Canes. The apartment, transformed into a bustling corporate hub, symbolizes the company's humble yet fanatical beginnings. The founder's emphasis on preserving historical artifacts and stories underscores the value of "roots" and "history" in maintaining company culture and inspiring future generations of employees. He strongly encourages other growing businesses to "document it, keep things that are special because things are going to change and you'll always have that history," highlighting the enduring importance of a company's origin story.