Todd Graves to help restaurants struggling due to pandemic in new TV show

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - Raising Cane’s founder and CEO Todd Graves will star in an upcoming docuseries Restaurant Recovery in which he will help restaurants affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, WAFB has confirmed.

Graves, who has previously starred in the FOX series Secret Millionaire, has committed $2 million to help 20 different restaurants across the U.S.

Each restaurant featured on the show has closed or is on the verge of closing due to COVID-19 and will have a recovery budget of $100,000.

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The series will begin filming in August and continue for the rest of the year as coronavirus restrictions lift in different states.

Producers of the show say they plan on filming in New Orleans, Las Vegas, Miami, Baton Rouge, New York, Boston, Los Angeles, Dallas, Houston, St Louis, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Denver, Atlanta and more cities based on applications received.

The series is created with producers Kapil Mahendra and Paul Beahan through their Calabasas Films & Media (CFM) banner. Doug Weitzbuch (‘World of Dance”) and Adam Saltzberg (“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition”) are the series’ executive producers.

Graves will use his decades-long restaurant experience and his team of business experts, financial advisors, marketing team, and strategic food enthusiasts to help struggling restaurant owners get back on their feet.

“I don’t just want to help these restauranteurs come back, I want them to come back stronger. So when the next pandemic, tornado, hurricane or any disaster strikes, they will be ready and equipped to weather the storm,” Graves said.

Producers say it’s likely several prominent celebrities and personalities will appear on the series to show support for restaurants in their perspective hometowns.

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Graves has grown Raising Cane’s from a single location at the north gates of LSU in 1996 to more than 500 locations across the world.

“I want to help people that knew how to be successful in their own business but now need help to overcome these extraordinary circumstances we’re facing,” added Graves. “I know the challenges of keeping a small business going and I want to help these great independent restaurants that have so much soul and really make a community special. These restauranteurs care about their employees and community, and that means a lot to me, and should mean a lot to all of us. In ‘Restaurant Recovery,’ you’ll see an iconic family restaurant that has been around for decades in one episode, and on others it may be a local bakery that is a community’s gathering spot, or a new restaurant that has been the owner’s dream for decades who fell victim to horrible timing upon opening.”

“We hope that these incredible actions from Todd will inspire a wave of generosity and support for the great number of restaurants struggling through these times. Working with Todd on this series, it feels like he’s helping family members, and that’s what will make the series such compelling television – the sincerity, spirit, and energy he brings,” series producer Kapil Mahendra said.

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“If this pandemic has taught us anything it’s how precious and fragile the things that bring us happiness, and bring us together are, so we just think it’s a great idea to do what we can to help the rebuilding effort. We are proud to work alongside Todd in this time of need for restaurants and feel these restaurant recovery missions will both entertain and inspire. Viewers will come away feeling optimistic,” series producer Paul Beahan said.

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