Raising Cane's owner and founder Todd Graves brought the holiday cheer to the heart of Hollywood in the form of a giant 2,518-pound jack-o'-lantern. Carved by Food Network star and Guinness World Record holder Eric Jones, together with his team of expert carvers, the giant gourd was inspired by all things Hollywood and Halloween, carved with a mashup of imagination that represents both the restaurant and Los Angeles.
The spectacle is currently on view outside the TCL Chinese Theater along the Hollywood Walk of Fame and will remain at the iconic location until Sunday, November 2. During his unveiling, Graves, Jones, and Grower of the year Emmett Andrusz debuted the pumpkin as fans, tourists, and special guests including Karrueche, Malika and Khadijah Haqq, Jesse Palmer, the master, and Coryharton more came to see the master, and Coryharton.
Source: Marlon Linares / @strydur
Set to open a Raising Cane's next month in the same iconic location, Graves opened up about his decision to display a giant jack-o'-lantern not only here, but in New York City as well.
“I've always loved Halloweens and jack-o'-lanterns and dreamed of having the biggest pumpkin in the world and last year we got it,” said the founder and CEO. “This year we have the first and second largest pumpkins in the country and I wanted to share them with as many people as possible, which is why we have one here on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and one in the heart of Times Square on Military Island.”
He continued, “Halloween is a fun time and pumpkins are so inspiring. I want kids to walk through this pumpkin and know that they can be a grower or a carver – or anything they want – and have the opportunity to bring joy to so many people through their passions.”
Source: Marlon Linares / @strydur
The grower of the year expanded on how cool this moment was, and gave fans a sneak peek at what's to come next year.
“It's unbelievable to be here right now enjoying the pumpkin and seeing all the joy it brings to people. Seeing everything come to life is very rewarding and I love that we have the opportunity to share our pumpkin with so many people,” Andrusz said. “I grew up around pumpkins with my dad and never imagined we'd be here today with Raising Cane's and Todd. Next year we're going for a 3,000+ pound pumpkin – we want a Guinness World Record!”
Karrueche spoke with BOSSIP at the event, where she talked about “falling in love with Cane's” while in New Orleans filming Claws, before the restaurant made its way to LA
She also praised Graves and the entire Cane family for “always doing these really fun activations, engaging with the culture, and just having fun.”
Source: Marlon Linares / @strydur
As for her own Halloween plans, the actress admitted she's “not really feeling it” this year when it comes to dressing up — so don't expect extravagant costumes from her on Instagram. But, she already celebrated last weekend in a way that couldn't be more appropriate for the occasion
“This year I'm keeping it very cold,” the star told me BOSSIP. “I did a pumpkin decorating party for my nieces and nephews, that was enough for me. Now it's about the children.”
Halloween traditions run deep at Raising Cane's, going all the way back to 28 years ago, when Graves started giving Crew “ghost pops,” tissue-wrapped Tootsie Pops with hand-drawn faces. Today, that small gesture has grown to more than 65,000 crew members worldwide, proving that the Halloween spirit is alive and well at Raising Cane's.
