Raising Cane’s Boss Todd Graves Preps ‘Restaurant Recovery’ Reality Series; Plans To Offer $2M In COVID-19 Relief

Peter White
·3 min read

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EXCLUSIVE: The founder of fast-food chain Raising Cane’s is set to offer $2M in COVID-19 relief to 20 restaurants around the country in a new reality series.

CEO and founder Todd Graves, who has previously starred in Fox’s Secret Millionaire, has partnered with Calabasas Films & Media to produce Restaurant Recovery.

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Graves will travel across the country to help restaurants that have closed or are on the verge of closing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He will commit to helping 20 restaurants with a $2M relief and recovery budget – $100,000 to each restaurant.

Raising Cane’s, which is best known for its chicken fingers, has more than 500 locations in the U.S.

Shooting for Restaurant Recovery, which currently does not have a network, is set to begin in August and continue for the rest of the year as cities re-open and guidelines are instituted for safe filming and dining activities. The initial schedule includes potential filming in New Orleans, Las Vegas, Miami, Baton Rouge, New York, Boston, Los Angeles, Dallas, Houston, St Louis, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Denver and Atlanta.

Doug Weitzbuch, who was co-exec producer on NBC’s World of Dance, and Adam Saltzberg, exec producer of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition will exec produce the series. Calabasas Films & Media, which was formed in 2018 by Kapil Mahendra and Paul Beahan, produces.

“I don’t just want to help these restauranteurs come back, I want them to come back stronger. So, when the next pandemic, tornado, hurricane or any disaster strikes, they will be ready and equipped to weather the storm,” Graves said. “I want to help people that knew how to be successful in their own business but now need help to overcome these extraordinary circumstances we’re facing. I know the challenges of keeping a small business going and I want to help these great independent restaurants that have so much soul and really make a community special. These restauranteurs care about their employees and community, and that means a lot to me, and should mean a lot to all of us.”

Mahendra added, “We hope that these incredible actions from Todd will inspire a wave of generosity and support for the great number of restaurants struggling through these times. Working with Todd on this series, it feels like he’s helping family members, and that’s what will make the series such compelling television – the sincerity, spirit, and energy he brings.”

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