Advice Line with Todd Graves of Raising Cane's

Intro

David Burmeister hosts an Advice Line episode where three founders confront the universal growth dilemma: how to scale without sacrificing what made the business special in the first place.

Caller 1: Evan Sledge & Whiskey Morning Coffee

Evan Sledge built Whiskey Morning Coffee on a simple premise—small-batch, bourbon barrel-aged coffee with a distinct Southern hospitality brand. Demand is rising, but the current operation can't keep up without major capital investment. He's caught between taking on investors who'll expect rapid national expansion and remaining a beloved regional cult brand. Todd Graves doesn't mince words: slow down. "Your brand's strength is that it feels handmade," he says. "If you scale too fast, you lose the thing people pay for." Graves suggests a phased rollout—maybe a second location that serves as a production hub and brand experience center, not just a retail shop. The goal isn't to be everywhere tomorrow; it's to be exceptional where you are today.

Caller 2: Shane Lyons & Vesti

Shane Lyons founded Vesti to help job seekers present themselves better through AI-powered resume optimization. The product works, users love it, but growth has flatlined. Digital ads aren't moving the needle, and Shane's wondering if the problem is product-market fit or marketing. Todd Graves asks a different question: "Are people telling their friends about this?" When Shane admits word-of-mouth is weak, Graves zeroes in on the gap between a functional tool and an emotional story. "Your users might get a better resume, but do they feel transformed?" He recommends rebuilding the onboarding flow to make the "before and after" moment visceral—maybe a video that shows exactly how Vesti changes someone's job search psychology. Marketing a utility is expensive; marketing a transformation gets shared.

Caller 3: Todd Bartlett Graves & Raising Cane's

The final caller is Todd Graves himself, still running Raising Cane's twenty years after opening the first restaurant. His challenge? Maintaining culture and consistency across 1,500+ locations while pushing into new markets where chicken fingers aren't a staple. The temptation is to adapt the menu to local tastes. Graves has consistently said no. "We don't do tenders, we don't do sandwiches, we don't do salads," he states. "Our menu is one entrée. That discipline is our brand." His advice to himself—and to anyone scaling—is to build systems that make deviation harder, not easier. Every new restaurant gets the same training, the same sauces from the same suppliers, the same 30-minute lunch rush rhythm. Growth means replicating excellence, not reinventing it.

Final Thought

The thread through all three conversations is counterintuitive: constraints breed creativity, focus drives scale, and discipline protects the brand. Todd Graves didn't build Cane's by chasing every opportunity; he built it by saying no to almost everything except chicken fingers, fries, coleslaw, and sauce. The callers leave with a clearer picture of what not to do—and that's often more valuable than the to-do list.