Residents who love food but hate their arteries will have new options for heart-stopping delights next week with the opening of both Raising Cane’s and The Win~Dow.
Raising Cane's will open its first Westside Los Angeles location at 1401 Third Street Promenade on Wednesday, June 10, while The Win~Dow, a Venice-born smashburger chain, is set to debut its seventh location at 930 Montana Ave. on June 9.
Raising Cane's
The Louisiana-based chicken finger chain will occupy a 1,401 Third Street Promenade address in the former Bibimbap space, marking the brand's first foothold on the Westside and a symbolic milestone for a downtown district still rebuilding its retail and dining base.
The chain, which operates more than 1,000 locations worldwide and counts California as its second-largest market with roughly 117 locations, is known for a deliberately narrow menu built around chicken fingers marinated for at least 24 hours and cooked to order with no heat lamps or warmers. Every location serves the same core lineup: chicken fingers, Cane's Sauce — which the company claims is the most craved sauce in the restaurant industry — coleslaw, toast and fresh-brewed tea and lemonade.
The Santa Monica outpost was designed with the city's surf-and-skate culture in mind, featuring a Ferris wheel mural inspired by the nearby pier, surfboard disco light installations and California-themed merchandise. The dining room also traces owner Todd Graves' origin story, from his early career as a boilermaker and sockeye salmon fisherman to opening the first Raising Cane's in 1996.
Opening day festivities begin before the 10 a.m. doors, with a drawing from 8 to 9 a.m. to award 20 customers free Cane's for a year. The first 200 combo purchasers will receive a custom Santa Monica beach towel and a free box combo card for a future visit. The restaurant will also present $1,000 checks to the Boys & Girls Club of Santa Monica and the Santa Monica Education Foundation. Hours will run daily from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m.
The Win~Dow
A day earlier, The Win~Dow will open at 930 Montana Ave., taking over a space previously occupied by the Go Get Em Tiger coffee shop. The 50-seat location was designed by the Klein Agency and features murals by Los Angeles artist KC Haxton.
Founded in Venice in March 2019 by Paul Hibler and Jeff Goodman as a walk-up window attached to their upscale Rose Avenue steakhouse American Beauty, The Win~Dow was built around a single, affordable cheeseburger — a flat-top griddled patty smashed with onions, topped with American cheese, pickles and a pink house sauce on a soft potato bun. It launched at $3.95 and has risen incrementally to around $4.50.
The concept earned early recognition from Eater LA, which named it the No. 1 new burger in the city, and took the top prize at LAist's 2025 Tournament of Cheeseburgers. The chain is operated under parent company American Gonzo Food Corp., which also runs Pitfire Pizza, Superba and Pie Society.
The Santa Monica location expands on the original concept with a weekend breakfast menu featuring burritos and egg-topped burgers, with weekend service beginning at 9 a.m. The menu currently runs about nine items total, including a vegetarian option, fried chicken sandwich, fries, shakes and soft-serve.
A Broader Revival
Raising Cane's will be the first major fast food chain to open on the Promenade since the ban's repeal, but it is unlikely to be the last. Taco Bell has filed permits to open a Cantina-format location at 318 Santa Monica Blvd., currently home to the Britannia Pub. The Cantina concept — which features alcohol service, shareable appetizers, communal seating and digital kiosks but no drive-thru — operates at roughly 60 locations nationally and generates four times the revenue of a traditional Taco Bell, according to the company. Plans call for converting 1,510 square feet of office space into a restaurant and bar with a mezzanine level, valued at nearly $400,000.