From Viral Fame to Lasting Careers: Stars Share Lessons on Success at Raising Cane’s

BATON ROUGE, La. – Before Cale Saurage was reaching millions of people with his TikTok videos and getting crowds dancing at his DJ shows, he was growing up eating chicken fingers at the first Raising Cane’s restaurant in Baton Rouge.

As the company celebrated its 30-year history, Saurage returned to “The Mothership” and reminisced about his childhood experiences at the restaurant that Raising Cane’s owner and founder Todd Graves transformed into a worldwide chain.

“I’m gonna be honest, it’s very inspiring,” Saurage said. “I used to sit in these exact booths when I was a kid.”

Saurage was one of several celebrities who traveled to Baton Rouge to celebrate Raising Cane’s 30th anniversary. Graves invited social media personalities and entertainers to “The Mothership,” including Olivia Ponton, Mayci Neeley, Dixie D’Amelio, Tommy Winkler, comedian Dane The Great and reality television sisters Malika and Khadijah Haqq.

The guests spent time with Graves as he guided them through the neighboring 30th Birthday Pop-Up Museum. He shared stories about building Raising Cane’s and how the business got started. They also enjoyed Box Combos at “The Mothership,” where the restaurant chain began in 1996.

Dallas Weekly previously covered Raising Cane’s 30th anniversary celebration in August, when the company opened its museum and shared how the business grew from one restaurant to more than 1,000 locations worldwide.

The latest celebration brought together entertainers who could relate to Graves’ journey through their own experiences. Saurage, Dane The Great and the Haqq sisters sat down with Dallas Weekly to discuss maintaining their careers and the lessons they’ve learned along the way.

From social media to DJing

Saurage is a Louisiana native with more than 6 million followers on TikTok. He’s made a name for himself by dancing and creating videos that make people laugh and smile.

His popularity on social media opened doors to other opportunities, including making music and becoming a DJ.

“Man, honestly, I live a blessed life,” Saurage said. “Every morning I wake up and I get to do exactly what I love.”

Along with Hootie Hurley, Saurage formed the electronic music duo SIDEQUEST. The pair have released music and traveled around the country performing at concerts and venues.

SIDEQUEST has a combined social media following of more than 9 million and was a headliner at the 2026 Monterey Motorsports Festival in August.

Although Saurage started his career making TikTok videos and now performs as a DJ, the motivation behind his work hasn’t changed.

“Whenever I was making those funny videos, pulling up in the truck, I was doing exactly what I wanted to do, exactly what I loved,” Saurage said. “I love making people smile.”

He learned that becoming a DJ would allow him to continue entertaining people while creating music they could enjoy for years.

“With DJing and making music, I found it’s something I can even make a bigger impact on because music lives on forever,” he said.

Millions of people watch his content and enjoy his music, but Saurage knows not everyone sees what it takes to maintain his career.

“Man, people don’t see the tears,” Saurage said.

Since going viral, he has worked to stay consistent with his content and career. At this point in his life, he not only creates content but also manages people and makes business decisions.

He even explained that he has whiteboards throughout the top floor of his house to keep track of everything he needs to do.

Those experiences have helped Saurage understand how persistent Todd Graves has been while building his restaurant chain.

“It’s persistence,” Saurage said. “And that’s what Todd showed. It’s persistence.”

Dane The Great has taken a different path, building his following around his home state and the personalities that make Louisiana unique.

Dane The Great is proud to represent Louisiana at “The Mothership”

Dane Lindfors, better known as Dane The Great, has turned his love for Louisiana into a career.

The Hammond native has gained more than 3 million followers on TikTok by creating videos about Southern culture. Whether portraying his popular Southern Dad character or people audiences may recognize from growing up in Louisiana, he’s made a name for himself by showing what the state has to offer.

Dane’s success on social media has also created opportunities to work with other entertainers and celebrities. Before becoming a full-time content creator, he worked in plants and refineries around Louisiana.

While visiting “The Mothership,” Dane reflected on what Graves has accomplished since opening the first Raising Cane’s restaurant 30 years ago.

“It’s magical,” Dane said. “Straight up magical.”

Having grown up in Louisiana, Dane understands that people outside the state may not recognize everything it has to offer. He believes Louisiana deserves more recognition for its culture and the people who come from there.

“I feel like Louisiana gets the short end of the stick,” Dane said.

“I mean, it’s good he’s representing Louisiana,” Dane said. “Everything’s good that comes from Louisiana.”

Of course, a conversation about Raising Cane’s wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the food. Dane said there’s still one thing he wants to figure out about the restaurant.

“And that sauce. I gotta find out the secret,” he said.

Dane also believes Graves is more than a successful businessman. After spending time around him, he had something to say about his personality.

“Todd’s genuine, too. I like that,” Dane said.

He didn’t stop there, offering another compliment in his signature comedic style.

“He’s gorgeous, too.”

Dane knows that staying successful requires remaining true to himself and his roots. Social media is constantly changing, with new creators emerging every day.

“I mean, you just got to keep it going, you know?” Dane said. “Stay consistent.”

While Saurage and Dane have found success through social media, two other guests have spent more than 20 years building careers across television, film and other areas of entertainment.

Haqq sisters talk about motherhood and maintaining success for more than 20 years

Malika and Khadijah Haqq have been in the entertainment industry for more than two decades, from acting in movies such as “Sky High” and “ATL” to appearing on reality television shows including “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” and “Dash Dolls.”

The sisters have continued expanding their careers beyond acting and reality television. Khadijah appeared in the Netflix movie “You People,” while Malika has pursued beauty and fashion collaborations and competed on the UK version of “Celebrity Big Brother.” They also created their own digital series, “Side by Side with Malika & Khadijah.”

The sisters have maintained a combined Instagram following of approximately 8.5 million, reflecting their continued popularity in entertainment and social media.

Most recently, they appeared on Hulu’s “The Girls: A Khloé Kardashian Project.” The six-episode series premiered Aug. 21 and follows Kardashian’s friends as they navigate motherhood, relationships, business and their personal lives.

Although they’ve been in entertainment for more than 20 years, the Haqq sisters said being mothers is now their biggest priority.

“I feel like people know us as celebrities and artists, and I think the shift for us is now the full-time job for us is being mothers,” Khadijah said.

Both sisters want their children to know they can accomplish their goals and follow their dreams.

“I think it’s really important for our children to grow up in a similar way to how we grew up,” Malika said.

They want their children to watch them work hard and pursue their careers while understanding that family remains a priority. However, the sisters acknowledged that balancing both responsibilities isn’t always possible.

“It’s not always going to be balanced,” Malika said.

Some days, their children need more attention than their careers, while other days require them to spend more time working. The sisters continue finding ways to manage both responsibilities.

During their visit, the Haqq sisters also shared their admiration for Graves and his accomplishments.

“It’s not just because of what Todd’s built, which is incredible,” Malika said. “It’s also because of who he is as a person.”

Malika and Khadijah both admire Graves’ generosity and his willingness to give back to others.

“The truth is, deep down, the man’s a giver,” Malika said.

Khadijah shared similar feelings about Graves and Raising Cane’s as a company.

“We love Raising Cane’s because of what it represents,” Khadijah said. “And we love the food, too.”

Throughout their careers, the sisters have explored different opportunities and adapted to changes in the entertainment industry.

When asked what longevity has taught her, Khadijah offered a simple response.

“Patience.”

Malika also discussed what it takes to maintain a career for such a long time, emphasizing the importance of remaining committed to something you love.

“Your commitment to what you love is not just when it’s easy,” Malika said.

Khadijah believes everyone should be willing to grow and embrace new opportunities throughout their career.

“I think in any industry, you’re allowed to evolve,” Khadijah said.

She also believes patience is important when trying to determine the direction of a career.

“You have to be patient to see what your personal rollout is and whatever your career choice is,” she said.

Staying true to what you love

The entertainers who came to “The Mothership” have followed different paths, but they’ve all found something they love and turned their passions into careers.

Saurage started making TikTok videos and now travels around the country performing as a DJ. Dane has used his love for Louisiana to introduce audiences to the state’s culture and personalities. The Haqq sisters have spent more than two decades working in entertainment while balancing their careers with motherhood.

For Saurage, the visit meant more than learning about what it takes to build a successful business. He also had an opportunity to relive part of his childhood.

The restaurant he grew up visiting now has more than 1,000 locations worldwide. Much like Raising Cane’s, Saurage has seen his own career grow from humble beginnings into something much bigger.

As he reflected on his journey and Graves’ accomplishments, Saurage shared a lesson about continuing to work toward success.

“You start at zero and you keep crushing,” Saurage said. “As long as you never let off the gas, you’re gonna win.”