Shrinkflation seems to have hit beloved chicken tender spot Raising Cane’s and people are unhappy about it. If you’re not familiar with Cane’s, they sell one thing, and they do it well—big chicken tenders with sides.
In a viral TikTok, user Katie (@itskatieaustin) is sitting in her car after getting a disappointing plate of food from Cane’s. “Canes is out here doing us dirtyyyy,” the text overlay on the video read. Katie said she paid $10.10 for a three-piece, but was very disappointed by what she got.
When she flips the camera around, viewers can see that the section for the fries isn’t totally full; there’s an unbuttered and untoasted piece of bread meant to be Texas Toast and then three paltry chicken tenders next to a container of Cane’s sauce.
“You gave me two fries in the whole box and then this. What is this? A nugget for ants?” she said.
@itskatieaustin @canes chicken! ♬ original sound – Katie
The video has accumulated more than 1 million views and nearly 4,000 comments. Several people shared that they’ve also noticed the portions gradually getting smaller. This phenomenon is known as “shrinkflation,” which is when products shrink in size or quantity while maintaining the same price, so you end up paying more for less.
This is usually done to offset rising production costs and maintain profit margins when faced with competition. Recent examples of shrinkflation include mac and cheese boxes, chip containers, soup cans, and even portions at restaurants.
“I swear canes tenders keep getting smaller every year,” the top comment read.
“Canes is just too expensive now,” a person said.
“The strips are half the size they used to be!!” another noted. Katie replied saying she also noticed the tenders were dry when they used to be “juicy.”
Cane’s is mainly based in southern and Midwestern portions of the U.S., but is expanding to other regions. The chain is known for having hearty chicken tenders that can fill you up. These aren’t just any ole’ tenders or a kid’s menu portion. In the past, its three-piece combo has been known to easily fill up an adult.
A Reddit user asked this question more than a year ago in a post to r/RaisingCanes. One user, who claimed to be a Raising Cane’s worker, said, “Its a supplier issue Sometimes we get decent sizes other times no.”
Did the portion sizes get smaller?
byu/hella_steez_nutz inRaisingCanes
The Daily Dot reached out to Katie and Raising Cane’s for comment via email.