thank you, come again

Alex Bregman swaps bat for headset as he mans Raising Cane's drive-thru and counter

Houston Astros All Star Alex Bregman has definitely earned some time off after absolutely mashing on August 29 against the Boston Red Sox with a home run and three hits to lead the Stros in a big win. So how did he spend his day off this week? Working the drive-thru.

The All Star with a famed work ethic and passion for connecting with fans worked the drive-through and counter at Raising Cane’s in west Houston in the late morning of Thursday, August 31. Cars on Westheimer near the beltway lined up long before Bregman took the window at 10 am. While they were expecting the All Star and two-time World Series champion at the drive-thru, they may not have been prepared for his mad rhymes as he handed them bags of chicken tenders.

"Chicken, chicken, what combo you pickin'?" Bregman asked a guest through his headset, a line that Cane’s should immediately adopt as mandatory for staff.

Then it was the main counter, where Bregman greeted customers, took their orders, and got tips from shift managers. The steely eyed Bregman, known for his ice-cold game demeanor, was noticeably stressed as he made sure folks got their Cane’s chicken.

"Pressure is a privilege," he told CultureMap as he manned the counter, with a relieved "whew" when he was told he did an admirable job fielding chicken and drink orders. Perhaps his stress at the counter was due to Astros mascot Orbit, who snuck in and tried to upstage Bregman as an order taker.

Bregman then posed for photos with fans, joined by the Astros Shooting Stars dancers, that rascal Orbit, and Cane’s staff. Lucky fans — including a cheery group wearing Louisiana State University (his alma mater) shirts — and Cane’s employees posed with Bregman with the 2022 World Series Championship trophy. Speaking of lucky fans, a lucky one scored two free tickets to an upcoming Astros game.

"The minute I stepped on campus at LSU I loved eating at Raising Cane’s," Bregman told the media after his shift was over. (Let's hope for his sake he clocked out first.) "There's a lot of pressure because there's a long line and you gotta get it rollin," he said of his shift. "It's fun, though — I had a good time. I definitely need some more work back there."

We're not sure what's more impressive: Bregman's recent mashing or his drive-thru order at Raising Cane’s. "Box combo," he quickly fired back when asked about his go-to Cane’s meal. "I like the box combo — extra toast. I'll go through the drive-thru and order like 10 toasts and dip it in the Cane’s sauce.

We asked Bregman how he'd feel about a Breggy Bomb/Cane’s collab. "Oh, I wish — that would be incredible," he said with a smile. "But, I eat both." (Memo to Tyler Straub of Breggy Bomb: we can handle royalties for our idea later.)

Back in 2018, we reported on Bregman documenting his random acts of kindness on Youtube with fast food and restaurant staffers; he tipped a waitress at Moonshiner's $500 and randomly surprised fast food drive-thru staff with $100 gifts. What about a surprise gift trip to a Cane’s, drive-thru, Alex?

Photo by Raising Cane's

Bregman manned the drive-thru and surprised customers.

'Oh, we may have to bring back the drive-thru video and do it at Cane’s," he replied with a grin.

Thanks, Queen Bey

Pop icon Beyoncé donates $100,000 to University of Houston Law School

Photo by Erza Shaw Getty Images

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Pop megastar Beyoncé Knowles-Carter has donated $100,000 to the University of Houston Law Center Criminal Justice Clinic through her BeyGOOD Foundation. The gift will allow the clinic to hire fill-time faculty to head it, benefiting the students who study there.

“I am delighted that the BeyGOOD Foundation has made this very generous gift to the UH Law Center,” said Leonard Baynes, dean of the UH Law Center. “Not only will this funding help establish a full-time criminal justice clinic that provides pro bono legal services in our community, but it will also supercharge our already excellent criminal law and justice programming.”

The clinic is one of nine at UHLC. It helps students learn to navigate the criminal justice system, especially on behalf of clients that are underserved by skilled attorneys. People of color are affected disproportionately by a lack of good, ethical representation.

Beyoncé, the most decorated artist in Grammy history and easily the biggest musical star native to Houston, has a long history of advocating for criminal justice reform. She was a staunch supporter of the police reform following the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, asking law enforcement to “stop killing us” in a web post. In 2020, she penned an open letter to the Kentucky attorney general asking for justice in the death of Breonna Taylor.

Through her BeyGOOD Foundation, established in 2013, Beyoncé has focused mostly on expanding the prospects of Black-owned business and offering education opportunities to students. Forwarding the cause of legal representation in Texas while also helping out marginalized communities compliments her other philanthropic work.

“At UH Law, we envision a legal profession where ‘everyone has the opportunity to prosper,’ as BeyGOOD envisions, and we will achieve this vision by providing access to strong and effective legal representation in criminal proceedings,” Baynes said. “And together, through this gift, the BeyGOOD Foundation and UHLC will shepherd the next generation of criminal justice attorneys in the city of Houston, the state of Texas and the nation.”