OCEANSIDE — Raising Cane’s, a popular fried chicken fast food chain, will fill a site that formerly housed a French-inspired comfort food restaurant in southern Oceanside.
The fast-food eatery will occupy the site of the long-closed Mimi’s Cafe on Vista Way, near the Jefferson Street offramp from state Route 78.
Raising Cane’s has identified early 2027 as a target opening date, according to a company representative. The timeline depends on permit approvals and the construction schedule.
Scott Ashton, chief executive officer of the Oceanside Chamber of Commerce, told The Coast News that, while he has not tried the fried chicken, his staff has expressed excitement about the restaurant.
“It’ll be a very nice addition to that shopping plaza,” Ashton said.
Ashton added that bringing a business to the location will be a win for the city, including the jobs and tax revenue it is expected to generate.
“It’s obviously exciting anytime a vacant retail space can be activated,” Ashton said. “It’s great for Oceanside, for our community.”
Raisin’ Canes founder Todd Graves opened the first eatery in 1996 near the Louisiana State University campus. The restaurant, which specializes in chicken fingers and a signature dipping sauce, was named after Graves’ dog, who was present at the construction site of the first location, according to the company’s website.
Raising Cane’s currently has locations in Camp Pendleton, Vista, San Marcos and Escondido.
The Oceanside restaurant would be the chain’s westernmost location in North County San Diego and its closest to Interstate 5.
Mimi’s Cafe, founded in 1978 in Anaheim by restaurateur Arthur J. Simms and later rebranded as Mimi’s Bakery and Bistro, built its reputation on American-French comfort food, including its “famous” chicken pot pie.
The restaurant chain has reduced its national footprint following a series of ownership changes. The chain peaked at roughly 146 locations nationwide in 2010, but now has just 44 restaurants in 12 states, according to the Pacific Coast Architecture Database.
In April 2025, a more than 30-year-old Mimi’s Cafe location in Valencia, California, was razed to make way for a Yard House, as reported by the Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
Mimi’s Cafe operated as a sit-down restaurant, while Raising Cane’s locations are typically fast-food establishments with drive-thrus.
The former restaurant’s proximity to freeways, homes, and retail in Oceanside makes Cane’s “ideal for that location,” Ashton said.
