Raising Cane’s sues Boston landlord trying to evict restaurant over ‘offensive’ chicken odor

From the fryer to the courtroom.

A Raising Cane’s restaurant claimed that its landlord is threatening to evict them from one of their few Boston locations over an alleged “offensive” chicken-finger smell that is reeking up the property.

The rapidly expanding chain filed suit against 755 Boylston LLC on Jan. 23, accusing the property owner of orchestrating an “extortionate scheme” to boot the restaurant from the building, according to court filings obtained by People.

The landlord claims the restaurant has violated its lease, alleging the building is overwhelmed by the “offensive” stench of “chicken fingers.”

However, Raising Cane’s is fighting back. The Louisiana-based chicken joint asked a judge to determine whether it made sufficient efforts to prevent food odors from drifting beyond its leased space.

Court documents show that the lease, signed in March 2021 and amended in November 2022 to run through at least 2037, requires the chain to use “all reasonable efforts” to mitigate odors and noise, with

The company argues the agreement does not require it to eliminate every last whiff of chicken and says it has spent $230,000 on mitigation efforts, including exhaust cleanings, sealed vents, and a $34,000 cleaning for the upstairs offices.

“Despite these efforts, Defendant continues to complain that its tenant’s chicken finger restaurant smells like chicken fingers,” the lawsuit states.

The chain also alleges that the landlord is negotiating with another restaurant that would violate the lease’s exclusivity clause, barring any other restaurant from selling deboned chicken from the address without Raising Cane’s approval, according to the lawsuit.

The landlord allegedly notified the chain on Aug. 7, 2025, that it planned to lease adjacent space to Panda Express — a move Cane’s says would breach the exclusivity clause, People reported.

The landlord allegedly tried getting the fast-food spot to give up its exclusive rights, a move Raising Cane’s rejected.

Raising Cane’s allegedly fired back on Jan. 8, telling the landlord it was done shelling out cash over what it called “unreasonable demands” about the so-called “chicken finger” odor.

Matters escalated further when 775 Boylston LLC delivered a Notice of Termination and Notice to Quit, claiming the restaurant was emitting “offensive” and “nuisance” smells.

A Raising Cane’s spokesperson told People the chain is looking to hash things out with the landlord so that the “situation can be resolved amicably.”

“We’re chicken finger fanatics — litigation is not what we do,” the spokesperson said. “We hate that we’re in this position and haven’t been able to come to terms with our landlord.”

The Post has reached out to Raising Cane’s for comment.

Founded in 1996 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Raising Cane’s built its brand around a streamlined menu centered on premium chicken fingers and has since grown to more than 800 locations across 44 states, according to its website.

In 2024, Raising Cane’s had a “record-breaking year of growth,” opening 118 restaurant locations, according to a 2025 press release.  

The company said it expects to open nearly 100 new restaurants in 2026, growing in both new and existing communities, with planned sites near SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco, and the University of Washington in Seattle.

“At any given time, we have about 300 Restaurants at various stages in our development pipeline and are continually evaluating sites all over the world to achieve our goal of operating 1,600+ restaurants and becoming a Top 10 US Restaurant Brand,” a Raising Cane’s representative told Fox Business.

with Post wires