The Franchise Disclosure Document is a thorough document required by the Federal Trade Commission. Each franchise brand must provide one, complete with 23 specific items, to support its candidates in the due diligence process. For entrepreneurs considering Layne’s Chicken Fingers, the FDD provides a robust overview of the data necessary to make an informed investment decision.
Here’s what you’ll find in Layne’s 2026 FDD and what it means.
Layne’s FDD starts with an overview of Layne’s as an organization, the franchise itself, potential competition and industry regulations. Like any restaurant concept, Layne’s competes with other restaurants, and unit-level performance may be impacted by industry-wide shifts, such as changes in consumer taste, traffic patterns and economic conditions.
Item 2, “Business Experience,” highlights the team leading the business, including CEO Garrett Reed, Chief Operating Officer Samir Wattar and Chief Development Officer Eric Reed. The entirety of the Layne’s leadership team brings a wealth of experience in restaurants, real estate, marketing and operations.
Items 3 and 4 cover litigation and bankruptcy. Layne’s does not have anything to disclose in either.
Next, the FDD outlines the costs of operating a Layne’s, including the initial investment and ongoing costs.
Layne’s Item 5 highlights the initial franchise fee ($50,000), which is uniform for all franchisees and non-refundable, and the development agreement fee, which is $50,000 for the first location plus $25,000 for each additional planned location.
Item 6 outlines other fees. The most relevant fees here are the recurring ones, which are outlined as follows:
| Type of Fee | Amount |
| Royalty Fee | 5% of gross revenues/week |
| Local or Regional Advertising Cooperative | Up to 5% of gross revenues, paid as directed by the cooperative |
| Local Marketing Expenditure | 1% of gross revenues/quarter |
| POS System Maintenance Fee | Approximately $4,800 - $7,200/year |
| Technology Fee | Capped at the greater of $500/month or $6,000/year |
Item 7 includes an outline of the estimated initial investment ($531,500 to $1,605,000), broken down by line item. In the 2026 FDD, Layne’s discloses the following costs:
| Type of Expenditure | Amount |
| Initial Franchise Fee | $50,000 |
| Lease Deposit and Rent (three months) | $7,500 - $50,000 |
| Utility Deposits | $5,000 |
| Government Licenses and Permits | $1,500 - $10,000 |
| Blueprints and Plans | $10,000 - $50,000 |
| Leasehold Improvements | $175,000 - $900,000 |
| Signage and Graphics | $7,000 - $70,000 |
| Furniture and Fixtures | $10,000 - $30,000 |
| Point of Sale | $8,000 - $15,000 |
| Computer Hardware and Software | $3,500 - $7,500 |
| Kitchen Equipment and Smallwares | $150,000 - $250,000 |
| Professional Services | $5,000 - $7,500 |
| Initial Inventory | $7,500 - $15,000 |
| Smallwares, Uniforms, and Initial Supplies | $7,000 - $15,000 |
| Insurance | $5,000 - $15,000 |
| Travel and Related Expenses While Training | $2,000 - $5,000 |
| Initial Opening Assistance | $2,500 - $5,000 |
| Grand Opening Advertising and Promotion | $10,000 - $25,000 |
| Additional Funds | $15,000 - $30,000 |
It is important to note that these numbers are not a guarantee. How much it will cost for you to open your specific Layne’s restaurant will vary, but the Item 7 is built around real historical data and serves as a benchmark for potential owners.
Reviewing all of the data in these items will help you understand exactly how much it will cost to get your Layne’s open and when those payments will be due.
Once you understand who Layne’s is and how much you should expect to invest, you can dive into the nitty-gritty details of ownership.
Item 9 outlines your obligations. For example, you are responsible for the required fees, and you must comply with Layne’s standards. While this item outlines what will be required of you, it also gives some structure to the expectations across the system. Things like “maintenance, appearance and remodeling” are included in this item, laying the foundation for consistent high standards across the system and ultimately protecting the brand at large and your individual investment.
Item 11 outlines the franchisor’s obligations to you before you open your restaurant and over the course of the franchise agreement. This includes anything from the provision of initial training to ongoing consultation, advertising and brand development efforts.
Item 13 covers trademarks. For Layne’s, this includes “Layne’s Chicken Fingers,” “Soon to be Famous chicken fingers,” “Born & Breaded in Texas,” the Astro Chicken, and Layne’s logos.
Item 14 describes patents, copyrights and proprietary information. Layne’s does not have any patents but does have proprietary rights to the materials used in the system, such as recipes, menus and manuals. Every franchisee and their teams are required to maintain the confidentiality of this information.
Item 15 outlines the required commitment to the restaurant, including hands-on involvement. Each Layne’s restaurant must have an on-site operations manager; in some cases, this will be you. If you are investing as a franchise group, the operations manager must maintain an ownership interest of at least 10%. The designated operations manager must be dedicated, full-time, to the operation of the restaurant.
Both Items 19 and 20 address the performance of the system and provide valuable figures to support the buying process.
Item 19 is where a franchisor can make financial representations, if they choose to. Anything disclosed in Item 19 is not a performance guarantee. Rather, it is a data point candidates can use to get an idea of how they may perform. Still, it’s important to review as it can provide helpful context regarding the potential return on investment.
In its 2026 FDD, Layne’s discloses the performance of 15 franchised restaurants that operated the entire 2025 calendar year. It also outlines gross revenue data by model:
| Average | Low | Median | High | |
| Traditional Restaurant Total Gross Revenue | $2,206,127 | $1,535,827 | $2,196,905 | $2,949,615 |
| Non-Traditional Restaurant Total Gross Revenue | $1,263,580 | $590,712 | $1,235,993 | $2,490,240 |
While Item 19 is a helpful tool for evaluating financial performance, Item 20 will help you evaluate Layne’s recent growth and its performance with respect to expansion. Item 20 is the systemwide outlet summary and reports 40 open restaurants at the end of 2025, representing 21 units added over the course of the year.
A crucial part of Item 20 is Layne’s attached Exhibit D, which lists current and former, if any, franchisees’ information. This is an invaluable resource during the validation process. Review the numbers and unit history outlined in the document, but speak with the people who have actually done it, too. In these conversations, you can ask Layne’s franchisees about their experience of Layne’s ownership, the support the franchisor offers and information on any other details the franchisor may not be able to legally disclose or discuss during the sales process.
Reviewing the FDD is just one part of a larger due diligence process, but it’s certainly an important one. You should review the entire document, likely in partnership with a legal and/or financial advisor, to ensure you have a complete understanding of the opportunity.
Combining the information in the FDD with information gleaned from conversations with the leadership team and current franchisees will help you develop a complete understanding of the opportunity and ultimately decide if you’re ready to join the Soon to be Famous™ chicken finger franchise.
To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/layneschickenfingers.
Layne's Chicken Fingers
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The FDD is a crucial resource for franchise due diligence. In its 2026 FDD, Layne’s details its leadership, investment costs, training requirements and financial performance representations.
The Franchise Disclosure Document is a thorough document required by the Federal Trade Commission. Each franchise brand must provide one, complete with 23 specific items, to support its candidates in the due diligence process. For entrepreneurs considering Layne’s Chicken Fingers, the FDD provides a robust overview of the data necessary to make an informed investment decision.
Here’s what you’ll find in Layne’s 2026 FDD and what it means.
Layne’s FDD starts with an overview of Layne’s as an organization, the franchise itself, potential competition and industry regulations. Like any restaurant concept, Layne’s competes with other restaurants, and unit-level performance may be impacted by industry-wide shifts, such as changes in consumer taste, traffic patterns and economic conditions.
Item 2, “Business Experience,” highlights the team leading the business, including CEO Garrett Reed, Chief Operating Officer Samir Wattar and Chief Development Officer Eric Reed. The entirety of the Layne’s leadership team brings a wealth of experience in restaurants, real estate, marketing and operations.
Items 3 and 4 cover litigation and bankruptcy. Layne’s does not have anything to disclose in either.
Next, the FDD outlines the costs of operating a Layne’s, including the initial investment and ongoing costs.
Layne’s Item 5 highlights the initial franchise fee ($50,000), which is uniform for all franchisees and non-refundable, and the development agreement fee, which is $50,000 for the first location plus $25,000 for each additional planned location.
Item 6 outlines other fees. The most relevant fees here are the recurring ones, which are outlined as follows:
| Type of Fee | Amount |
| Royalty Fee | 5% of gross revenues/week |
| Local or Regional Advertising Cooperative | Up to 5% of gross revenues, paid as directed by the cooperative |
| Local Marketing Expenditure | 1% of gross revenues/quarter |
| POS System Maintenance Fee | Approximately $4,800 - $7,200/year |
| Technology Fee | Capped at the greater of $500/month or $6,000/year |
Item 7 includes an outline of the estimated initial investment ($531,500 to $1,605,000), broken down by line item. In the 2026 FDD, Layne’s discloses the following costs:
| Type of Expenditure | Amount |
| Initial Franchise Fee | $50,000 |
| Lease Deposit and Rent (three months) | $7,500 - $50,000 |
| Utility Deposits | $5,000 |
| Government Licenses and Permits | $1,500 - $10,000 |
| Blueprints and Plans | $10,000 - $50,000 |
| Leasehold Improvements | $175,000 - $900,000 |
| Signage and Graphics | $7,000 - $70,000 |
| Furniture and Fixtures | $10,000 - $30,000 |
| Point of Sale | $8,000 - $15,000 |
| Computer Hardware and Software | $3,500 - $7,500 |
| Kitchen Equipment and Smallwares | $150,000 - $250,000 |
| Professional Services | $5,000 - $7,500 |
| Initial Inventory | $7,500 - $15,000 |
| Smallwares, Uniforms, and Initial Supplies | $7,000 - $15,000 |
| Insurance | $5,000 - $15,000 |
| Travel and Related Expenses While Training | $2,000 - $5,000 |
| Initial Opening Assistance | $2,500 - $5,000 |
| Grand Opening Advertising and Promotion | $10,000 - $25,000 |
| Additional Funds | $15,000 - $30,000 |
It is important to note that these numbers are not a guarantee. How much it will cost for you to open your specific Layne’s restaurant will vary, but the Item 7 is built around real historical data and serves as a benchmark for potential owners.
Reviewing all of the data in these items will help you understand exactly how much it will cost to get your Layne’s open and when those payments will be due.
Once you understand who Layne’s is and how much you should expect to invest, you can dive into the nitty-gritty details of ownership.
Item 9 outlines your obligations. For example, you are responsible for the required fees, and you must comply with Layne’s standards. While this item outlines what will be required of you, it also gives some structure to the expectations across the system. Things like “maintenance, appearance and remodeling” are included in this item, laying the foundation for consistent high standards across the system and ultimately protecting the brand at large and your individual investment.
Item 11 outlines the franchisor’s obligations to you before you open your restaurant and over the course of the franchise agreement. This includes anything from the provision of initial training to ongoing consultation, advertising and brand development efforts.
Item 13 covers trademarks. For Layne’s, this includes “Layne’s Chicken Fingers,” “Soon to be Famous chicken fingers,” “Born & Breaded in Texas,” the Astro Chicken, and Layne’s logos.
Item 14 describes patents, copyrights and proprietary information. Layne’s does not have any patents but does have proprietary rights to the materials used in the system, such as recipes, menus and manuals. Every franchisee and their teams are required to maintain the confidentiality of this information.
Item 15 outlines the required commitment to the restaurant, including hands-on involvement. Each Layne’s restaurant must have an on-site operations manager; in some cases, this will be you. If you are investing as a franchise group, the operations manager must maintain an ownership interest of at least 10%. The designated operations manager must be dedicated, full-time, to the operation of the restaurant.
Both Items 19 and 20 address the performance of the system and provide valuable figures to support the buying process.
Item 19 is where a franchisor can make financial representations, if they choose to. Anything disclosed in Item 19 is not a performance guarantee. Rather, it is a data point candidates can use to get an idea of how they may perform. Still, it’s important to review as it can provide helpful context regarding the potential return on investment.
In its 2026 FDD, Layne’s discloses the performance of 15 franchised restaurants that operated the entire 2025 calendar year. It also outlines gross revenue data by model:
| Average | Low | Median | High | |
| Traditional Restaurant Total Gross Revenue | $2,206,127 | $1,535,827 | $2,196,905 | $2,949,615 |
| Non-Traditional Restaurant Total Gross Revenue | $1,263,580 | $590,712 | $1,235,993 | $2,490,240 |
While Item 19 is a helpful tool for evaluating financial performance, Item 20 will help you evaluate Layne’s recent growth and its performance with respect to expansion. Item 20 is the systemwide outlet summary and reports 40 open restaurants at the end of 2025, representing 21 units added over the course of the year.
A crucial part of Item 20 is Layne’s attached Exhibit D, which lists current and former, if any, franchisees’ information. This is an invaluable resource during the validation process. Review the numbers and unit history outlined in the document, but speak with the people who have actually done it, too. In these conversations, you can ask Layne’s franchisees about their experience of Layne’s ownership, the support the franchisor offers and information on any other details the franchisor may not be able to legally disclose or discuss during the sales process.
Reviewing the FDD is just one part of a larger due diligence process, but it’s certainly an important one. You should review the entire document, likely in partnership with a legal and/or financial advisor, to ensure you have a complete understanding of the opportunity.
Combining the information in the FDD with information gleaned from conversations with the leadership team and current franchisees will help you develop a complete understanding of the opportunity and ultimately decide if you’re ready to join the Soon to be Famous™ chicken finger franchise.
To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/layneschickenfingers.
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