One week after winning its fifth Emmy for “Outstanding Structured Reality Program,” ABC’s Shark Tank announced Raising Cane’s owner and founder Todd Graves as a Guest Shark on season 16 of the show, which launches Friday, October 18 at 8/7 p.m. CT on ABC and streaming on Hulu.
“I’m honored and excited to join the cast of ‘Shark Tank’ for season 16 alongside fellow Guest Sharks Kendra, Jamie, and Rashaun. As a long-time viewer and fan of the show, I’m excited to bring my restaurant and business experience to entrepreneurs and help guide them as they build their brands,” said Graves. “At my core, I love business and helping people succeed; and at the end of the day, it’s not about what you make, it’s about what you give. I know how it feels when someone takes a chance on you and it changes your life, and I’m looking forward to doing that on the show.”
An embodiment of entrepreneurism and the American Dream, Graves opened doors to the first Raising Cane’s 28 years ago. Located across from the North Gates at LSU, the first Raising Cane’s – also known as “The Mothership” – was the answer to a Chicken Finger dream that would ultimately become a Chicken Finger empire set to gross more than $10B by the end of the decade with more than 1,600 Restaurants. Currently, with more than 830 Restaurants across more than 40 states, Cane’s is one of the fastest growing Restaurant brands with zero plans of slowing down.
“Going into this experience I wasn’t sure what to expect, but all the Sharks were so warm and welcoming to me and it was an incredible experience. Between production, crew and the Sharks, it truly is like one big family and I felt supported the entire time,” said Graves. “I was excited to compete with and learn from the best, and while we all joke around and give each other a hard time, we want to see each other succeed. Understanding a business, getting to know an entrepreneur, and striking a deal all within less than an hour was a fun challenge for me, and I’m thankful for the help from Mark, Kevin, Lori, Daymond, and the entire ‘Shark Tank’ team.”