Forbes: Layne’s Chicken Fingers Is Expanding Beyond Texas

Layne’s Chicken Fingers, the Soon to be Famous™ fast food chicken concept, is crossing the Texas state line for the first time. The franchise will open a new location in Morgantown, West Virginia, this summer and is on target to open new locations in Madison, Wisconsin, and in Northern Virginia by the end of the year. 

In 1994, Mike Layne introduced Layne's Chicken Fingers to the College Station, Texas, community, near Texas A&M. Over time, the brand expanded its reach into Houston and the Dallas-Fort Worth region. Until now, the business remained exclusive to Texas, with a total of 10 stores in the state, including four owned directly by the company and six operated by franchisees.

Samir Wattar, the COO of Layne’s, says that part of the company’s growth can be attributed to becoming “a franchisable brand.” In 2021, it spent most the year nailing down, “who we are, what we stand for, established a supply chain system and developed a training program. We feel right now we are ready to take it everywhere.”

Sales also saw a boost in January 2022 when the franchise introduced spicy chicken tenders, which now account for over 20% of its sales. Wattar noted that studies show that Gen Z and millennials prefer more flavorful items, so the new addition makes it more attractive to a younger generation. 

Wattar described it as, “more of a suburban brand, appealing to middle to higher incomes, attracting families and doing well near colleges, such as near the University of North Texas in Dallas and University of West Virginia, when it opens in Morgantown.”

And when asked what differentiates Layne’s chicken fingers from other brands in the saturated market, Wattar replied, “We only use tenders, not strips. Our tenders are breaded and fried, and the seasoning makes the difference.” 

Looking ahead, Watter expects that Layne’s will have 30 retail stores in a number of states two years from now. He says the keys to its future success are: staying true to who the brand is, maintaining the quality of its food, not trying to “be everything to everybody” and choosing the right franchisees.

Read the full story on Forbes here. 

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