Norfolk’s Monticello Avenue is adding new restaurant chains to its roster, turning the popular thoroughfare — already dotted with local favorites — into a gastro-gauntlet as summer approaches.
Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers opened last week, and Shake Shack and First Watch next door are under construction in connected spaces. First Watch has a target open date of May 18, according to a banner posted at the entrance, and Shake Shack appears to be progressing at the same rate.
They join Chick-fil-A, Taco Bell, KFC, Wendy’s, Cook Out, Rally’s and Captain D’s – along with Norfolk staple Doumar’s – within about 2,400 feet of each other, according to online maps.
For Shake Shack and First Watch, these restaurants are their first foray into Norfolk. But neither is new to Hampton Roads —Shake Shack has two other Hampton Roads locations, while First Watch has eight other Hampton Roads locations and one in Williamsburg. This is Raising Cane’s sixth location in the region.
Norfolk City Councilmember John E. Paige, whose ward includes this stretch of Monticello, said these new businesses are a positive addition to the city but there’s still more to come.
“What we’re doing in Ward 4, we’re growing our contribution to what it is that the city needs to run effectively and efficiently,” Paige said. “Particularly for that area, we’re also working on bringing business to the Church Street corridor, so this is just the beginning of the reenvisioning of the spaces we have in Ward 4.”
The new Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers at 1580 Monticello Avenue in Norfolk is photographed on Monday, April 13, 2026. (Kendall Warner/The Virginian-Pilot)
Terrance Griffin, 40, a shipyard worker who lives within walking distance of the new eateries, said he’s excited to have more options on his way to work.
“It’s a lot going on, looks like a lot of competition to me,” Griffin said while enjoying his early lunch at Cane’s on their outdoor tables on a sunny Friday morning. “It’s pretty good — it’s fresh, it’s hot … that’s why I stopped (while) walking from the shipyard.”
Griffin tempered his optimism though, concerned that with Cane’s staying open until 1 a.m. Sunday to Thursday and 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, it could become a late-night hangout for folks on the way home from partying.
“I’m scared they’ll make their way from Virginia Beach (and nearby neighborhoods) and start littering and all type of stuff … next thing you know you got trash everywhere in the parking lot,” Griffin said. “You’re probably gonna need some police because people don’t know how to act.”
Paige said the City Council would address any concerns residents raise stemming from increased activity on Monticello “right away.”
“We want this to be a win-win, not just for the businesses but for all of our citizens and the city also,” the council member said.
Gavin Stone, 757-712-4806, gavin.stone@virginiamedia.com
The new Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers at 1580 Monticello Avenue in Norfolk is photographed on Monday, April 13, 2026. A First Watch and Shake Shack will be joining on the same block located next to a Chick-fil-A. (Kendall Warner/The Virginian-Pilot)
Dining and Cooking