"Raising Cane's alleged that they're being forced to give up their right to be the exclusive chicken restaurant at the Back Bay location, terms that were agreed upon in a lease signed back in 2021. The landlord wants to bring in a Panda Express next door despite the lease, and the plaintiff claimed that the defendant is using the threat of eviction to get their way by complaining that the restaurant "smells like chicken fingers.""
"The restaurant claimed to have spent more than $200,000 on mitigating odor issues that included inspecting exhaust systems, sealing window vents, paying for deep cleaning, and retaining multiple consultants, including Sevan Consulting, who noted that the odor problem is actually a result of building issues outside of Raising Cane's leased area. The odor complaint arose around the same time the landlord turned the second floor into office space, the lawsuit alleged, and that the landlord has been "desperate to secure new tenants.""
Raising Cane's filed suit against 755 Boylston, LLC in Suffolk Superior Court, alleging the landlord pressured the chain to surrender an exclusivity clause so Panda Express could take adjacent space. The landlord reportedly complained that the Back Bay restaurant "smells like chicken fingers" and threatened eviction. The Back Bay location opened in 2023 and the parties communicated about odor issues through much of 2025. Raising Cane's said it spent over $200,000 on exhaust inspections, sealed vents, deep cleaning, and consultants including Sevan Consulting, which attributed the odor to building issues outside the leased area. The landlord converted the second floor to office space while seeking new tenants.
Read at Boston.com
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