By Gavin Quinton
The new Raising Cane’s restaurant is causing traffic problems, according to people who spoke at a Burbank City Council meeting last week.
Drive-thru patrons of Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers spill out onto West Olive Avenue and form a line down the major thoroughfare, sometimes as long as 500 feet, to the corner of North Parish Place.
Beyond that, some Raising Cane’s customers scale a wall separating the business from its neighboring restaurant Tallyrand, a 63-year-old Burbank staple, on their way to pick up an order, according to Karen Ross, owner of Tallyrand.
This is a common sight, according to Ross, who said she has seen a constant flow of Cane’s customers parking in the Tallyrand lot since the fast-food chain opened on June 7.
“We’re not in the business of parking management. We are just trying to manage our business the best way we can,” Ross said.
Last week, Cane’s temporary drive-thru permit expired on West Olive Avenue. Residents say that drive-thru traffic has started to pile up onto Orchard Avenue and Reese Place, two smaller residential streets.
“It has become nothing but chaos in our neighborhood… We can’t find parking. We’ve had double parking. We’ve had accidents, and it’s not fair,” said Orchard Avenue resident Stephanie Clark during the Council meeting.
Ross said she doesn’t blame Raising Cane’s for the issues, though. She says she has established a good relationship with its management since the restaurant opened in Burbank. Cane’s is paying for armed security to manage traffic flow and to keep cars off residential streets, but that precaution will be ending soon, according to Ross.
Instead, Ross says the fault is with the city. “Let me say I’m all for progress in our city. But I think there was a lack of due diligence on the front side that allowed them to open in this particular location,” Ross said in a statement to City Council on July 12.
Ross wasn’t alone. She was joined by many other residents from the Rancho Providencia neighborhood, and this past Tuesday, Jamie Keyser, CEO of the Burbank Chamber of Commerce, addressed the City Council on behalf of Tallyrand.
“The city allowed this to happen, and the city needs to take responsibility and figure out how to manage this effectively in the long term… Tallyrand is losing its parking battle and it will cost them $24,000 to put in an electric gate. Who’s going to pay for that?” she said.
“Raising Cane’s is known for their cult-like following, and until they build more restaurants, people will continue to travel from different cities to dine there,” she added.
Four new Raising Cane’s locations will be opening in Hollywood, North Hollywood, Palmdale and Northridge, which officials say should reduce regional demand for the Burbank location.
The restaurant’s opening was delayed multiple times this year amidst a lawsuit filed by a group of local residents who feared traffic, noise and littering issues.
In response to complaints, city officials reported that they have now started looking into potential solutions for the traffic problems, including permit parking and speed bumps on Reese and Orchard.
A recommendation from the city’s community development department for permit parking on Orchard and Reece is scheduled for the Tuesday, Aug. 23, City Council meeting.
