--- title: "Fast Food Chain Can’t Find People to Hire, So It’s Sending Office Workers to Fry Food and Work Registers" description: "Fast-food chain Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers is resorting to sending its corporate staff to work in its restaurants amid the ongoing labor squeeze." date: "2021-10-07" modified: "2021-10-07" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/fast-food-chain-sending-office-workers-fry-food" categories: - "Food" - "Future Society" tags: - "labor market" - "restaurant" - "the digest" --- # Fast Food Chain Can’t Find People to Hire, So It’s Sending Office Workers to Fry Food and Work Registers ![Fast-food chain Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers is resorting to sending its corporate staff to work in its restaurants amid the ongoing labor squeeze.]() *\Image: Getty Images/Futurism\* ## Fryer Starter Fast-food chain Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers is facing a rather bizarre situation: the ongoing labor shortage is so severe, [*Bloomberg* reports](), that it's resorted to sending its corporate staff to work in its restaurants. Half of the chain's office employees will be frying chicken fingers, working cash registers, and, of course, helping with recruiting. However, it's unclear if Raising Cane's is also planning to raise its wages as well — something more and more US employers [are resorting to]() as they face the reality that minimum wage just isn't enough to survive in America. ## Labor Squeeze The company, based out of Louisiana, has 530 locations. It's facing a massive uphill battle, with plans to hire 10,000 new restaurant workers within the next 50 days, according to *Bloomberg*. "It’s no secret that today’s hiring market is a challenge," CEO AJ Kumaran said in a statement. "Ahead of our massive growth next year, having the support we need is critical." The labor shortage is putting a tight squeeze on businesses across the country. Employers are having a hard time encouraging people to work, especially for those offering minimum wage jobs. The federal minimum wage, a measly $7.25, hasn't budged [since July 2009](). Businesses are now trying to trying a new tack: offering its workers fairer wages. In August, the average pay for supermarket and restaurant workers [topped $15 an hour]() — for the first time in the US labor market's history. Target even recently [announced a $2 pay bump]() to incentivize more workers to join its ranks. Raising Cane's, however, has not made mention of how much it's paying — or willing to pay — its restaurant workers in this week's announcement. Maybe that'd be a good first step before sending its accountants down to the frying stations. **READ MORE:** [Raising Cane’s Sends Corporate Staff to Work in Restaurants]() \[*Bloomberg*\] ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()