With more than 20 restaurants operating and over 250 additional units in development, Layne’s Chicken Fingers has transformed from a local favorite in College Station, Texas, into a rapidly expanding national franchise in under five years. Born and Breaded in 1994, the franchise began as a small, hometown, mom-and-pop chicken joint and was molded into a multi-state brand with the support of an experienced leadership team that has carefully balanced the iconic brand with progressive, innovative business practices.
The journey to the Layne’s we know today began when Garrett Reed and Matt O’Reilly identified something special in the beloved chicken finger restaurant. It had been operating since 1994, and they had a vision to bring the brand to new heights.
“We know how popular Layne’s was. You could talk to anyone who had been to the university,” Reed said. “They know what Layne’s is. People have t-shirts and hats, and they’ll wait in line out front. This passionate guest pool has been a key driver for Layne’s over the decades.”
While Layne’s was beloved by guests in College Station, it was not explicitly built for growth. The original owner ran a successful business, but he ultimately relied on older-school systems like handwritten order tickets and minimal accounting systems.
“When Matt and I decided to invest, it was the perfect storm,” Reed said. “The original owner had three restaurants. He was doing fantastic. But he also had four kids and was busy with his family. He wasn’t focused on growth with Layne’s, and we wanted that opportunity.”
After investing in Layne’s, Reed and O’Reilly began looking at what would be required to make the brand franchisable. The team’s balanced approach maintained what made Layne’s special while creating the infrastructure necessary for a scalable, repeatable system.
While the team kept the guest experience nearly identical, only upgrading with a few efficiencies and introducing a few new flavors, there was a near-total transformation behind the scenes.
“It was a complete ‘gut and rebuild’ situation,” Reed said. “I mean that in every sense of the word. There was not one thing that is back-of-house or non-customer-facing that we kept from the previous years.”
“This had to happen. The big thing with franchising is ‘Is it repeatable?’” said Samir Wattar, chief operating officer. “We needed the systems to be repeatable. Now, a franchisee can come train with us for three weeks and know everything they need to know about running a Layne’s.”
After experiencing Layne’s as guests, Reed and O’Reilly were confident in the brand’s potential, but they knew they’d need to prove it out before launching franchising opportunities.
“We knew we had something in College Station, and we believed it would work elsewhere, but Garrett and I decided to put the capital, infrastructure, policies and procedures in place before we started franchising,” O’Reilly said. “We decided to expand to the Dallas-Fort Worth area first to prove it could succeed beyond its original market before selling our first franchise.”
Since launching franchise opportunities, the entire team has been incredibly careful about who they partner with and how they support their partners throughout the entire relationship. Layne’s has said no to prospective franchisees, forfeiting what could turn into a massive paycheck because they’re dedicated to protecting the brand and its culture. They’ve rejected real estate selections that might work — technically — but aren’t places they would personally invest in.
“We live by two rules: protect the brand, and protect the franchisee,” Wattar said. “If anything doesn’t answer ‘yes’ to both, we will say no.”
This commitment to Layne’s and its franchisees has built an even stronger system. In addition to protecting existing owners, prospective owners can see just how careful and dedicated the leadership team is. When there’s a great match, this confidence can be what seals the deal.
“I tell everyone in our office the same thing: We’re not in the restaurant business; we’re in the service business,” Wattar said. “Our franchisees invest in our brand, and we need to treat them with the same level of care that we expect them to treat any Layne’s guest who walks through their door.”
As the Soon to be FamousTM chicken finger franchise continues its nationwide expansion, the leadership team remains focused on the same practices that shaped the 30-plus-year-old brand into the successful franchise it is today. With continued innovation, attention to detail and a care for the proven systems it has implemented, Layne’s will continue to grow with entrepreneurs who will be true partners in the brand’s success, bringing the beloved favorite to communities across the country.
To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/layneschickenfingers.
Layne's Chicken Fingers
SPONSORED
The Soon to be Famous™ chicken finger brand from College Station, Texas, was shaped into a highly successful franchise with the support of careful leaders, innovative systems and intentional growth.
With more than 20 restaurants operating and over 250 additional units in development, Layne’s Chicken Fingers has transformed from a local favorite in College Station, Texas, into a rapidly expanding national franchise in under five years. Born and Breaded in 1994, the franchise began as a small, hometown, mom-and-pop chicken joint and was molded into a multi-state brand with the support of an experienced leadership team that has carefully balanced the iconic brand with progressive, innovative business practices.
The journey to the Layne’s we know today began when Garrett Reed and Matt O’Reilly identified something special in the beloved chicken finger restaurant. It had been operating since 1994, and they had a vision to bring the brand to new heights.
“We know how popular Layne’s was. You could talk to anyone who had been to the university,” Reed said. “They know what Layne’s is. People have t-shirts and hats, and they’ll wait in line out front. This passionate guest pool has been a key driver for Layne’s over the decades.”
While Layne’s was beloved by guests in College Station, it was not explicitly built for growth. The original owner ran a successful business, but he ultimately relied on older-school systems like handwritten order tickets and minimal accounting systems.
“When Matt and I decided to invest, it was the perfect storm,” Reed said. “The original owner had three restaurants. He was doing fantastic. But he also had four kids and was busy with his family. He wasn’t focused on growth with Layne’s, and we wanted that opportunity.”
After investing in Layne’s, Reed and O’Reilly began looking at what would be required to make the brand franchisable. The team’s balanced approach maintained what made Layne’s special while creating the infrastructure necessary for a scalable, repeatable system.
While the team kept the guest experience nearly identical, only upgrading with a few efficiencies and introducing a few new flavors, there was a near-total transformation behind the scenes.
“It was a complete ‘gut and rebuild’ situation,” Reed said. “I mean that in every sense of the word. There was not one thing that is back-of-house or non-customer-facing that we kept from the previous years.”
“This had to happen. The big thing with franchising is ‘Is it repeatable?’” said Samir Wattar, chief operating officer. “We needed the systems to be repeatable. Now, a franchisee can come train with us for three weeks and know everything they need to know about running a Layne’s.”
After experiencing Layne’s as guests, Reed and O’Reilly were confident in the brand’s potential, but they knew they’d need to prove it out before launching franchising opportunities.
“We knew we had something in College Station, and we believed it would work elsewhere, but Garrett and I decided to put the capital, infrastructure, policies and procedures in place before we started franchising,” O’Reilly said. “We decided to expand to the Dallas-Fort Worth area first to prove it could succeed beyond its original market before selling our first franchise.”
Since launching franchise opportunities, the entire team has been incredibly careful about who they partner with and how they support their partners throughout the entire relationship. Layne’s has said no to prospective franchisees, forfeiting what could turn into a massive paycheck because they’re dedicated to protecting the brand and its culture. They’ve rejected real estate selections that might work — technically — but aren’t places they would personally invest in.
“We live by two rules: protect the brand, and protect the franchisee,” Wattar said. “If anything doesn’t answer ‘yes’ to both, we will say no.”
This commitment to Layne’s and its franchisees has built an even stronger system. In addition to protecting existing owners, prospective owners can see just how careful and dedicated the leadership team is. When there’s a great match, this confidence can be what seals the deal.
“I tell everyone in our office the same thing: We’re not in the restaurant business; we’re in the service business,” Wattar said. “Our franchisees invest in our brand, and we need to treat them with the same level of care that we expect them to treat any Layne’s guest who walks through their door.”
As the Soon to be FamousTM chicken finger franchise continues its nationwide expansion, the leadership team remains focused on the same practices that shaped the 30-plus-year-old brand into the successful franchise it is today. With continued innovation, attention to detail and a care for the proven systems it has implemented, Layne’s will continue to grow with entrepreneurs who will be true partners in the brand’s success, bringing the beloved favorite to communities across the country.
To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/layneschickenfingers.
Sign up for the 1851 Franchise newsletter to get our biggest stories before everyone else
By signing up, you agree to our user agreement (including class action waiver and arbitration provisions), and acknowledge our privacy policy.
No related articles found
