Chicken has long been big business in the restaurant industry, and with big-name franchise brands still waging a now years-long chicken sandwich war, its popularity doesn’t seem likely to wane any time soon. After all, fried chicken has been an American favorite for nearly 200 years; it’s no passing fad.
That’s likely a big part of why fried chicken franchise Layne’s Chicken Fingers has quickly become one of the most sought-after opportunities in franchising since the launch of its franchise opportunity just last year. But it's not the only reason. The Texas-favorite chicken brand is well-positioned to carve out an outsized share of the booming chicken segment as it expands into new markets, and 2022 may just be the best year to get on board. Here are five reasons why.
Let’s get this one out of the way right off the bat. You know who loves fried chicken? Everyone. OK, fine, maybe your vegan uncle would protest, but ask him what he misses the most from his pre-vegan days, and chances are fried chicken is at the top of the list.
Year after year, the fried chicken segment continues to grow, making it one of the surest bets in all of foodservice franchising.
“It’s a product with an enormous and well-established customer base,” said Samir Wattar, Layne’s COO. “That’s something you dream of when starting a business. Anywhere you go, you’ve got customers, because people know and love the product — no introduction necessary.”
Layne’s launched its franchise model in 2021, but the brand goes back nearly 30 years. In that time, the brand built and refined an operating model that would ensure new owners would find the same success that the brand’s original locations have enjoyed in their home state of Texas.
“It’s about as close to plug-and-play as you can get in the franchise industry,” explained Wattar. “We’ve designed our restaurants to serve an elevated product with minimal overhead and operational complexity. It’s a simple menu, with simple kitchen operations, requiring minimal training and labor. There’s just not a lot of room for error on the franchisee’s part.”
Though Layne’s only began franchising last year, the chain had already established quite a name for itself in Texas, where legions of loyal fans took Layne’s from a single-location chicken joint at Texas A&M’s College Station campus to a Lone Star State icon with 8 locations throughout Texas.
And Wattar says that popularity extends far beyond state lines.
“We’ve been fielding inquiries from aspiring Layne’s franchise owners in markets around the country for years,” he said. “People become addicted to Layne’s in college or even just on a visit to Texas, and they can’t shake it when they move away or return to their home state. It’s really taken on a life of its own outside of Texas that we never would have expected 30 years ago. That kind of opportunity — to tap into existing demand in markets where you haven’t even established a single restaurant — is rare in the franchise industry, and we’re excited to take full advantage.”
As Layne’s has transitioned from an entirely corporate-owned chain to a thriving franchise brand, its leadership team has prioritized franchisee support to ensure that every new location is operating at full capacity.
Layne’s corporate team works closely with franchise owners on virtually every aspect of the business, from real estate site selection to P&L sheets to local marketing. Wattar says that support has been critical to Layne’s early and prolific success as a franchise.
“When we launched this opportunity, we knew we didn’t want to just give franchisees the keys to the restaurant and say ‘good luck,’” he said. “As a brand, we’re only as strong as our weakest store owner, so we ensure that every single one of our franchisees has everything they need to absolutely kill it in their market. It’s a genuine partnership. We think of it as going into business for yourself but not by yourself.”
Consistency is key to franchising, but it can also be a trap. “Too many franchise brands are so strict about their buildouts that they wind up with the exact same store in every market they enter,” said Wattar. “Not only does that create a boring experience for the customer, it severely limits opportunities for franchise owners.”
Layne’s, on the other hand, designed its store model specifically to adapt to a wide range of locations, allowing franchise owners to set up shop wherever they find demand, whether that’s in second-gen locations, brand new buildings or even end-cap locations in partnership with other brands.
“We are all about flexibility,” said Wattar. “If we find a great new location with tons of foot traffic and a high density of our target demographics, we’re not going to turn that down just because it doesn’t meet some arbitrary square-footage requirement; we’re going to build something unique and awesome that fits that location.”
Franchise opportunities range from $737,000 to $1,217,500 with different buildout options available. The brand is looking to grow throughout the country and will concentrate on Texas, Florida, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Arizona. Learn more about franchising here.
ABOUT LAYNE'S CHICKEN FINGERS
Founded in 1994 in College Station, the original location became a Texas A&M legend known for its small-town charm, friendly service, iconic chicken fingers and secret sauce. While opening corporate locations across the Dallas-Fort Worth area, the leadership team focused on fine tuning its operations and starting to franchise. Now, the company is planning to bring Layne’s Soon to be Famous™ Chicken Fingers to the rest of the world with plans to open 100 locations by the next four years.
Layne's Chicken Fingers
SPONSORED
A streamlined operating model, strong branding, unmatched franchisee support, a universally loved product and flexible real estate top the list of reasons investors are flocking to the fast-growing fried chicken brand.
Chicken has long been big business in the restaurant industry, and with big-name franchise brands still waging a now years-long chicken sandwich war, its popularity doesn’t seem likely to wane any time soon. After all, fried chicken has been an American favorite for nearly 200 years; it’s no passing fad.
That’s likely a big part of why fried chicken franchise Layne’s Chicken Fingers has quickly become one of the most sought-after opportunities in franchising since the launch of its franchise opportunity just last year. But it's not the only reason. The Texas-favorite chicken brand is well-positioned to carve out an outsized share of the booming chicken segment as it expands into new markets, and 2022 may just be the best year to get on board. Here are five reasons why.
Let’s get this one out of the way right off the bat. You know who loves fried chicken? Everyone. OK, fine, maybe your vegan uncle would protest, but ask him what he misses the most from his pre-vegan days, and chances are fried chicken is at the top of the list.
Year after year, the fried chicken segment continues to grow, making it one of the surest bets in all of foodservice franchising.
“It’s a product with an enormous and well-established customer base,” said Samir Wattar, Layne’s COO. “That’s something you dream of when starting a business. Anywhere you go, you’ve got customers, because people know and love the product — no introduction necessary.”
Layne’s launched its franchise model in 2021, but the brand goes back nearly 30 years. In that time, the brand built and refined an operating model that would ensure new owners would find the same success that the brand’s original locations have enjoyed in their home state of Texas.
“It’s about as close to plug-and-play as you can get in the franchise industry,” explained Wattar. “We’ve designed our restaurants to serve an elevated product with minimal overhead and operational complexity. It’s a simple menu, with simple kitchen operations, requiring minimal training and labor. There’s just not a lot of room for error on the franchisee’s part.”
Though Layne’s only began franchising last year, the chain had already established quite a name for itself in Texas, where legions of loyal fans took Layne’s from a single-location chicken joint at Texas A&M’s College Station campus to a Lone Star State icon with 8 locations throughout Texas.
And Wattar says that popularity extends far beyond state lines.
“We’ve been fielding inquiries from aspiring Layne’s franchise owners in markets around the country for years,” he said. “People become addicted to Layne’s in college or even just on a visit to Texas, and they can’t shake it when they move away or return to their home state. It’s really taken on a life of its own outside of Texas that we never would have expected 30 years ago. That kind of opportunity — to tap into existing demand in markets where you haven’t even established a single restaurant — is rare in the franchise industry, and we’re excited to take full advantage.”
As Layne’s has transitioned from an entirely corporate-owned chain to a thriving franchise brand, its leadership team has prioritized franchisee support to ensure that every new location is operating at full capacity.
Layne’s corporate team works closely with franchise owners on virtually every aspect of the business, from real estate site selection to P&L sheets to local marketing. Wattar says that support has been critical to Layne’s early and prolific success as a franchise.
“When we launched this opportunity, we knew we didn’t want to just give franchisees the keys to the restaurant and say ‘good luck,’” he said. “As a brand, we’re only as strong as our weakest store owner, so we ensure that every single one of our franchisees has everything they need to absolutely kill it in their market. It’s a genuine partnership. We think of it as going into business for yourself but not by yourself.”
Consistency is key to franchising, but it can also be a trap. “Too many franchise brands are so strict about their buildouts that they wind up with the exact same store in every market they enter,” said Wattar. “Not only does that create a boring experience for the customer, it severely limits opportunities for franchise owners.”
Layne’s, on the other hand, designed its store model specifically to adapt to a wide range of locations, allowing franchise owners to set up shop wherever they find demand, whether that’s in second-gen locations, brand new buildings or even end-cap locations in partnership with other brands.
“We are all about flexibility,” said Wattar. “If we find a great new location with tons of foot traffic and a high density of our target demographics, we’re not going to turn that down just because it doesn’t meet some arbitrary square-footage requirement; we’re going to build something unique and awesome that fits that location.”
Franchise opportunities range from $737,000 to $1,217,500 with different buildout options available. The brand is looking to grow throughout the country and will concentrate on Texas, Florida, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Arizona. Learn more about franchising here.
ABOUT LAYNE'S CHICKEN FINGERS
Founded in 1994 in College Station, the original location became a Texas A&M legend known for its small-town charm, friendly service, iconic chicken fingers and secret sauce. While opening corporate locations across the Dallas-Fort Worth area, the leadership team focused on fine tuning its operations and starting to franchise. Now, the company is planning to bring Layne’s Soon to be Famous™ Chicken Fingers to the rest of the world with plans to open 100 locations by the next four years.
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