The moment Todd Graves knew athletes slinging Raising Cane’s was a winner

After nan Dodgers defeated nan Yankees successful nan World Series, it was a near-inevitability that 1 of their players would beryllium doing a promotional quality astatine Raising Cane’s.

Over nan past respective years, it’s developed into a rite of transition for sports champions to show up astatine nan chickenhearted digit concatenation and activity a displacement — and this week Dodgers outfielder Kiké Hernández became nan latest successful a database that has included Al Horford, Angel Reese, Ja’Marr Chase, Livvy Dunne, Katie Ledecky and galore more.

Raising Cane’s co-founder and CEO Todd Graves, who joined nan formed of ABC’s “Shark Tank” this season, said exclusively to The Post astir really nan restaurant’s intertwinement pinch sports has helped substance its growth.

Raising Cane’s was founded successful Baton Rouge successful 1996 and its first foray into sports advertizing came done a woody pinch LSU’s shot squad successful 2003.

“As soon arsenic I could spend it, I did — aforesaid pinch nan Saints,” Graves said.

With LSU, Graves reasoned that he could get nan champion bang for his subordinate buying a sponsorship successful nan outfield — because nan advertisement would tie impressions connected section news erstwhile they showed location tally highlights.

“It was for illustration $5,000 and I thought I’d get a could cost-per-impression. We didn’t person a batch of advertizing dollars truthful I had to agelong them,” Graves said.

“We saw loyalty that came pinch supporting LSU, nan Saints and nan players.”

The thought of having prima athletes travel activity shifts astatine nan concatenation happened serendipitously.

Raising Cane’s tabbed James Harden for an quality successful 2012 astatine a shop opening extracurricular Oklahoma City, wherever he was playing astatine nan time.

“And he leaned retired nan drive-thru model and they took a picture, and I was like, ‘Oh man, that’s good,'” Graves said. “If I tin commencement getting group to service and do nan drive-thru, it would humanize them. Nobody had done it. We’ve done it truthful overmuch and had truthful overmuch occurrence that now you’ll spot different businesses do it too.”

Graves said that nan thought “really blew up” successful 2021 erstwhile Snoop Dogg did an quality to beforehand a caller medium and images of nan rapper serving astonished customers successful Arkansas went viral.

“We started doing it pinch athletes — group loved seeing these sports stars making drinks and serving chickenhearted fingers and having a bully clip doing it,” Graves said, explaining that it yet shape-shifted into a run successful which they did it to observe championships.

Graves said that he strives for nan activations to beryllium much than transactions, to shape lasting relationships pinch athletes and celebrities, helping their charities and keeping successful connection pinch them.

Beyond sports teams, Graves and Raising Cane’s person collaborated astatine nan Manning Passing Academy and Tight End University pinch George Kittle, Greg Olsen and Travis Kelce, positive Cam Jordan and Maxx Crosby’s Sack Summit.

“Those things are awesome for maine because you build awesome halfway relationships. I for illustration hanging retired pinch group who are successful nary matter what it is they do, because it inspires you. I talk to business group each nan clip and it’s bully to person personification different. These athletes are conscionable going for it,” Graves said. “I person nan aforesaid view: Never satisfied.”

Graves will lead nan Super Bowl parade erstwhile nan NFL title hits New Orleans successful early 2025.

Raising Cane’s has besides done a large business pinch Dave Portnoy and Barstool Sports, and Graves agreed pinch The Post’s return that it’s a rarity wherever arsenic a media marque they person fans who guidelines for them almost for illustration a sports team.

“They person an tremendous instrumentality guidelines and it’s worked retired great,” Graves said.

Most chains nan size of Raising Cane’s do not still person their founders successful complaint arsenic Graves is — Shake Shack laminitis Danny Meyer remains nan president of nan board, and Panda Express laminitis Andrew Cherng still controls nan chain’s genitor company.

Graves has been patient astatine keeping nan aforesaid Raising Cane’s paper for complete 2 decades — chickenhearted fingers and sandwiches pinch zesty condiment and sides of cole slaw, fries and Texas Toast.

Unlike different concatenation leaders, he has refused to adhd desserts aliases salads to nan fare.

“I conscionable believed from nan get-go: Do 1 thing. Do what you’re bully at. Do what’s craveable successful nan nutrient business and execute for illustration crazy connected it,” Graves said.

He said he was inspired by seeing really In-N-Out Burger has had nan nonstop aforesaid paper since 1948.

Graves had a “chip connected my shoulder” erstwhile group advised him that he would request to adhd salads to counteract nan “veto vote” of family members who wanted to eat healthy.

“From nan beginning, I’ve ne'er considered changing,” he said.

Graves took an other measurement into nan nationalist oculus erstwhile he joined nan formed of ABC’s “Shark Tank,” nan longtime reality show wherever billionaires bid against each different to put successful business pitches.

“I’ve ever been a instrumentality of nan show and nan sharks. I for illustration nan competitiveness and nan pitches being little than an hour,” Graves said.

“They contacted maine and asked maine if I’d want to beryllium connected it. I said, ‘No. 1, it’ll thief maine beforehand my business. Secondarily, I’m a instrumentality connected nan show.’ I thought it would beryllium nosy to compete and spot really I’d do against nan different sharks.”