'Mean Girls' Avantika Vandanapu Works Shift At NYC Raising Cane's

Avantika Vandanapu may wear pink on Wednesdays, but Tuesday is for work ... because she showed up for a shift at Raising Cane's looking totally fetch.

The actress/singer, who plays Karen Shetty in the new "Mean Girls" movie, hopped right into the line of fire at a New York City Cane's location ... taking orders and filling up drinks for hungry customers.

AV revealed she loves the lemonade at Raising too -- though she admitted the hardest part of the gig was getting the lid on a cup of it -- and called out an order of hot fresh chicken for Emilia before heading back to make some of the restaurant's famous Texas Toast.

The starlet seems to be following Regina George's lead too ... gobbling down a couple pieces of the delicacy (a little all-carb diet anyone?!?) dipped in a little Cane's Sauce.

Avantika's not exactly the new kid in school when it comes to this whole acting thing either ... she's got credits for Rebel Wilson's movie "Senior Year" and the Disney Channel Original "Spin" ... though it'd be fair to say "Mean Girls" is blowing those flicks out of the water.

But Vandanapu's not big-timing anyone ... giving all the normie Raising Cane's employees the OK to sit at her lunch table and taking a group pic with the gang!!!