New restaurant to open at Marketplace at Merced. The chain specializes in chicken fingers
Raising Cane’s, the popular chain specializing in chicken fingers, is joining Marketplace at Merced.
The fast food eatery will replace the shuttered Big Lots at 665 Fairfield Dr., mall owners announced recently.
“Collaborating with a brand like Raising Cane’s is an exciting milestone for both Marketplace at Merced and Ethan Conrad Properties, bringing new energy and opportunities to our centers,” Ethan Conrad Properties, the owners of Marketplace at Merced, announced in a social media post on Friday.
An opening date has not been set, but the Louisiana-based fast food restaurant has a 15-year lease. The nearest existing restaurant is in Ceres.
This is the fourth lease that Ethan Conrad Properties secures since it bought the mall (formerly the Merced Mall) last June. The arrival of The Come Up Kickz was announced in October. Boot Barn’s pending arrival was announced in November, and Mocha Boba’s scheduled spring opening was revealed Jan. 9, the day before the announcement of Raising Cane’s.
The Come Up Kickz sells, buys and trades sneakers and athletic gear. Boot Barn sells western wear, including cowboy boots and hats. Mocha Boba offers Asian-based bites, such as Korean corn dogs and Japanese mochi donuts.
Renovation projects
The former Merced Mall and the old Sears building have transitioned ownership in the last couple of years.
Ethan Conrad Properties renamed the mall Marketplace at Merced when it bought the property last June. The real estate developer also owns the former Big Lots building, where Raising Cane’s is scheduled to open.
Both the Marketplace at Merced and the former Sears property are under renovation plans.
Under the new ownership of Sage Investco, the Sears Renovation Project resumed construction in December, after it had stopped in 2021.
Eight tenants will join once construction of the property at 1011 W. Olive Ave. is complete, according to the Office of Economic Development.
Burlington, Ulta, Five Below, Petco, Rack Room Shoes, and Mattress Firm are six chains that have been confirmed so far.
This story was originally published January 17, 2025 at 6:00 AM.