Layne’s Chicken Fingers, the 60-unit chicken finger franchise, has proven its model over three decades. Since its 1994 launch in College Station, Texas, Layne’s has caught the attention and stolen the hearts of local residents. And as it has grown, its reputation has spread far beyond College Station. Now, it has dozens of restaurants across the country, and it continues to perform in new markets. One of the key drivers of this success is the leadership team’s careful approach to real estate. Growth can’t just be about dropping pins on a map or filling open spaces based on availability alone.
“The reason we’ve had so many successful restaurant openings is because we’ve been so intentional and deliberate in picking the real estate,” said Kordell Snyder, director of real estate. “We’re still very intentional about growth. We still say ‘no’ way more than we say ‘yes.’”
By combining macro market mapping with local broker insights and active lease negotiation support, Layne’s leverages the real estate selection process to further reduce risk for its owners.
Layne’s understands that real estate is pivotal to its owners’ success, and it has taken the necessary steps to be prepared for growth nationwide. The team understands target trade areas long before a deal is signed.
“One of the big initiatives at the beginning of this year was to map the entire country,” Snyder said. “We did an 80 to 85% market build-out across the country, so whenever we have a candidate interested in a specific area, we’re prepared to have that initial conversation and say, ‘Hey, this is where we see the 10 Layne’s going in this part of the world.’”
Narrowing the target market benefits owners as they work to finalize their franchise agreement and start the site selection process. Large, multi-unit territory rights can feel overwhelming, but when the leadership team has already narrowed the pool down to the top-performing intersections, market planning becomes much easier for the franchisee.
The initial market planning is completed with the help of market data available to the Layne’s leadership team. But Snyder doesn’t blindly use this to make hard-and-fast decisions. Corporate data and tools are paired with the expertise of local franchisees and their real estate partners.
“Leveraging the knowledge of the franchisee who's local or has market knowledge, combined with the broker's insights, combined with the data side of stuff — comparative QSR sales, demographic growth rates, traffic counts — serves as a launching point to say, 'Let's pick the top 10 to 15 to go start looking in,’” Snyder said.
Further, Layne’s doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel. It knows what works, and it targets those sites.
“We don’t need to be pioneers,” Snyder said. “We go where other QSR concepts have been successful. We want to be where all the other QSRs are and where the grocers are, because we know that’s what will drive strong traffic for our restaurants.”
Once the team knows where they’re looking to put a restaurant, the focus shifts to securing the site itself. Layne’s franchisees have an automatic advantage because the brand is inherently appealing to real estate professionals. It demonstrates strong revenue performance, it continues to grow and its high-performing franchisees command a level of confidence that other operators may not.
“Time kills deals. A lot of people like to negotiate, but I credit a lot of our success to our franchisees being experienced,” Snyder said. “They know what they can live with and what they can’t, and we can often get to a yes or no really quickly.”
While Layne’s operators are generally comfortable navigating the real estate process because they have previous experience, the leadership team remains available throughout to support negotiations and help franchisees navigate such issues as site exclusives, tenant improvement allowances and base rent before signing the lease.
Once the lease is signed, the real estate selection process is technically over, but the team stays engaged. For Snyder, one real estate deal is just that; it’s not the end of the relationship with the franchisee.
“The relationship between the franchisor and the franchisee is intentionally long-term,” he said. “These are not one-off franchise deals. If we can hit the mark with the first store and the second store, it's obviously encouraging. It further solidifies our site selection process, and it builds confidence in our operators. That's why we have multiple franchisees who are ahead of their development schedules."
Rather than leaving site selection to chance, Layne’s turns what can be a high-risk aspect of franchise expansion into a strategic advantage. With a blend of data-driven market mapping, local expertise and unparalleled standards, the leadership team guides franchisees in identifying sites that will be great for the business not just tomorrow but in five years, too. For prospective franchisees, this hands-on strategy represents a foundation for sustainable multi-unit growth that is established before they even open their first door.
To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/layneschickenfingers.
Layne's Chicken Fingers
SPONSORED
Finding the right site is crucial for restaurant franchise success. Layne’s eliminates the guesswork and hones real estate selection with strategic mapping and local relationships.
Layne’s Chicken Fingers, the 60-unit chicken finger franchise, has proven its model over three decades. Since its 1994 launch in College Station, Texas, Layne’s has caught the attention and stolen the hearts of local residents. And as it has grown, its reputation has spread far beyond College Station. Now, it has dozens of restaurants across the country, and it continues to perform in new markets. One of the key drivers of this success is the leadership team’s careful approach to real estate. Growth can’t just be about dropping pins on a map or filling open spaces based on availability alone.
“The reason we’ve had so many successful restaurant openings is because we’ve been so intentional and deliberate in picking the real estate,” said Kordell Snyder, director of real estate. “We’re still very intentional about growth. We still say ‘no’ way more than we say ‘yes.’”
By combining macro market mapping with local broker insights and active lease negotiation support, Layne’s leverages the real estate selection process to further reduce risk for its owners.
Layne’s understands that real estate is pivotal to its owners’ success, and it has taken the necessary steps to be prepared for growth nationwide. The team understands target trade areas long before a deal is signed.
“One of the big initiatives at the beginning of this year was to map the entire country,” Snyder said. “We did an 80 to 85% market build-out across the country, so whenever we have a candidate interested in a specific area, we’re prepared to have that initial conversation and say, ‘Hey, this is where we see the 10 Layne’s going in this part of the world.’”
Narrowing the target market benefits owners as they work to finalize their franchise agreement and start the site selection process. Large, multi-unit territory rights can feel overwhelming, but when the leadership team has already narrowed the pool down to the top-performing intersections, market planning becomes much easier for the franchisee.
The initial market planning is completed with the help of market data available to the Layne’s leadership team. But Snyder doesn’t blindly use this to make hard-and-fast decisions. Corporate data and tools are paired with the expertise of local franchisees and their real estate partners.
“Leveraging the knowledge of the franchisee who's local or has market knowledge, combined with the broker's insights, combined with the data side of stuff — comparative QSR sales, demographic growth rates, traffic counts — serves as a launching point to say, 'Let's pick the top 10 to 15 to go start looking in,’” Snyder said.
Further, Layne’s doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel. It knows what works, and it targets those sites.
“We don’t need to be pioneers,” Snyder said. “We go where other QSR concepts have been successful. We want to be where all the other QSRs are and where the grocers are, because we know that’s what will drive strong traffic for our restaurants.”
Once the team knows where they’re looking to put a restaurant, the focus shifts to securing the site itself. Layne’s franchisees have an automatic advantage because the brand is inherently appealing to real estate professionals. It demonstrates strong revenue performance, it continues to grow and its high-performing franchisees command a level of confidence that other operators may not.
“Time kills deals. A lot of people like to negotiate, but I credit a lot of our success to our franchisees being experienced,” Snyder said. “They know what they can live with and what they can’t, and we can often get to a yes or no really quickly.”
While Layne’s operators are generally comfortable navigating the real estate process because they have previous experience, the leadership team remains available throughout to support negotiations and help franchisees navigate such issues as site exclusives, tenant improvement allowances and base rent before signing the lease.
Once the lease is signed, the real estate selection process is technically over, but the team stays engaged. For Snyder, one real estate deal is just that; it’s not the end of the relationship with the franchisee.
“The relationship between the franchisor and the franchisee is intentionally long-term,” he said. “These are not one-off franchise deals. If we can hit the mark with the first store and the second store, it's obviously encouraging. It further solidifies our site selection process, and it builds confidence in our operators. That's why we have multiple franchisees who are ahead of their development schedules."
Rather than leaving site selection to chance, Layne’s turns what can be a high-risk aspect of franchise expansion into a strategic advantage. With a blend of data-driven market mapping, local expertise and unparalleled standards, the leadership team guides franchisees in identifying sites that will be great for the business not just tomorrow but in five years, too. For prospective franchisees, this hands-on strategy represents a foundation for sustainable multi-unit growth that is established before they even open their first door.
To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/layneschickenfingers.
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