A Boston landlord is attempting to evict a Raising Cane’s restaurant in the city’s Back Bay neighborhood over complaints that the location “smells like chicken fingers,” according to a lawsuit.
The filing centers on the Raising Cane’s outpost on Boylston Street, which opened in 2022 inside a roughly 100-year-old building and holds a lease running through 2037.
The chain says new second-floor office tenants in the property raised concerns about what they described as an “offensive odor,” prompting the landlord to threaten termination of the lease.
“Despite these efforts, Defendant continues to complain that its tenant’s chicken-finger restaurant smells like chicken fingers,” the company said in its lawsuit. “In reality, it appears that Defendant has come to the realization that its own build-out of the second-floor office space was poorly executed.”
Landlord denies comment as lease dispute escalates
The landlord is listed in court records as 775 Boylston LLC, which CBS Boston reported is affiliated with Heath Properties. Heath told WBZ TV it had “no comment” on the lawsuit, according to the outlet.
Raising Cane’s says it spent more than $200,000 attempting to reduce odor issues inside the building, but claims it was informed in January that its lease would be terminated over what the landlord described as “offensive and or nuisance odors.”
The lawsuit also alleges the landlord attempted to pressure Raising Cane’s into waiving a lease provision that grants the chain exclusivity as the building’s “exclusive chicken restaurant,” according to CBS Boston.
Raising Cane’s further claims the landlord has been negotiating with Panda Express to take over space next to the Boylston Street location that was previously occupied by Starbucks. CBS Boston noted Panda Express already operates another Boston location inside Boston University’s student union.
The chicken-finger chain currently operates multiple locations in the city, including restaurants near Boston University on Commonwealth Avenue and close to Downtown Crossing.
This isn’t the first time a restaurant has faced issues from its landlord due to odor complaints, either. Back in December, an Indian restuarant suddenly had its locks changed and lease terminated by the property manager.
