Layne's Chicken Fingers

Tell us about Layne’s and how you got involved.Layne’s first opened in 1994 near Texas A&amp;M University. It was the first restaurant in Texas to specialize in chicken tenders and has grown into this really unique cult brand. Today, it retains this really cool culture. You walk in and the guests are happy. The employees are happy. It has a fantastic vibe. Mike Layne, who created the original recipes, really came up with a way to do chicken tenders that were beyond anything else. I grew up in College Station, so in 2016, when Matt and I were looking for an investment opportunity, I thought of Layne’s. We bought the brand with a strategy to spend our first few years transforming from a mom-and-pop style business to one that had the structure and systems it needed to franchise. We currently have eight locations in Texas, which includes our first franchise location that opened in June in Houston.&nbsp;Tell us about Layne’s core leadership team.It’s a diverse team. Each member has specific expertise that’s geared toward a franchise business. I have a degree in finance, but my core background is in the restaurant and commercial real estate industries. I have worked on the in-house real estate teams of Starbucks, Corner Bakery and Dunkin’ Donuts. In 2004, I started a real estate development company, which primarily developed restaurants, which I still own and is a very thriving company today. We perform site selection, market studies and research for a lot of different restaurants. Matthew O’Reilly is my business partner. He is the finance guy and handles all the key deals with our accountants for all the transactional issues. Samir Wattar is our chief operations officer.&nbsp; His background is in restaurant operations. He has worked with emerging brands like MOOYAH Burgers, Fries &amp; Shakes and Fuzzy’s Taco Shop and oversees the day-to-day operations.&nbsp;Why is right now the time to invest in a Layne’s franchise?&nbsp;I think space will get more and more crowded because the world of protein has shifted. The younger generation (Millennials, Gen Z and younger) want a cleaner protein, which happens to be chicken. That’s the reason everyone from McDonald’s and Wendy’s is investing so heavily in it. The chicken wars are real. But the space that we're targeting is the middle-to-upper income demographic. It’s an audience that has developed over the last 10 years. It’s the same audience of Raising Cane’s, Slim Chickens and Chick-fil-A. It’s a pretty exclusive club. We're not competing with the Church’s and the Popeye's and the KFC’s of the world. So now is the right time because it’s a space that’s going to only get more crowded, and the cost of entry will be greater.Why do you think Layne’s is a sound investment?This chicken space is tough to get into. Raising Cane’s doesn't franchise. Chick-fil-A doesn't really franchise; you can get a single unit. Slim Chickens franchises are sold out of a lot of franchise opportunities in prime markets. So we've built a model that allows people to get into this coveted space of fresh chicken tenders at an economically feasible price.What kind of qualities are you looking for in a franchisee? That’s a great question because we have received hundreds of inquiries to become Layne’s franchisees, but we're not really interested in selling a ton of franchise units unless we find the right fit. Yes, a franchisee must meet a certain level of net worth. They have to have experience. The thing they have to have, and I’m not saying this tongue-in-cheek, but they have to be Layne’s. That’s a hard thing to define. Basically, you have combined both a carefree, friendly attitude with an uncompromising demand for perfection in everything you do. You need to be able to make money, but you also need to have fun.&nbsp;Do you have growth goals for 2021 and beyond?We’d like to have 100 units by 2025. I think we could probably exceed that goal if we find the right partners. We're shooting for about 35 units corporately in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, hoping to open about two to three units a year in Dallas for the foreseeable future.

Layne’s Chicken Fingers: Executive Q&A, Garrett Reed, CEO

1851 Franchise

Garrett Reed, CEO Covers the History of the Brand and Why He Fell In Love With It

laynes-chicken-fingers-executive-qa-garrett-reed-ceo

FRANCHISE INFORMATION

Own a Layne's Chicken Fingers

Layne’s Chicken Fingers Growth

Franchisee Highlight

Why Layne's Chicken Fingers

Learn

Visit Website

LAYNE'S CHICKEN FINGERS

Facebook

LinkedIn

Twitter

Instagram

SOCIAL MEDIA

Why this Halal Guys Franchisee (and Texas A&M Alum) is Introducing Layne’s Chicken Fingers to the Houston Area 

Multi-Unit Layne’s Franchisee Secures Real Estate, Set To Open First Ohio Location Early Next Year

Virginia Franchisee Secures Real Estate, Set to Open in the First Quarter of 2025

LAYNE'S CHICKEN FINGERS MOST READ STORIES

LOGIN

ABOUT LAYNE'S CHICKEN FINGERS

CONTACT LAYNE'S CHICKEN FINGERS

facebook

instagram

twitter

linkedin

First Name

Last Name

Email

Phone

City Of Interest

Why are you interested in owning?

When do you envision becoming a franchise owner?

Do you have $300,000 without the bank to invest?

READY NOW? LET’S GET STARTED!

Front of new Layne's restaurant pictured on a sunny day

Layne’s Opens Two Pittsburgh Restaurants in Three Months, Plans To Do Same in More Markets Throughout the State

laynes-opens-two-pittsburgh-restaurants-in-three-months-plans-to-do-same-in-more-markets-throughout-the-state

Guide To Franchising Your Business: Q&A With Samir Wattar, Layne’s Chicken Fingers

guide-to-franchising-your-business-qa-with-samir-wattar-laynes-chicken-fingers

Layne’s Chicken Fingers Welcomes Eric Reed to the Corporate Team as New Chief Development Officer

laynes-chicken-fingers-welcomes-eric-reed-to-the-corporate-team-as-new-chief-development-officer

multi-unit-laynes-franchisee-secures-real-estate-set-to-open-first-ohio-location-early-next-year

Layne's Chicken Fingers to Open Nine Restaurants in 90 Days; Eyes Crossing the 45-Unit Mark in 2025

laynes-chicken-fingers-to-open-nine-restaurants-in-90-days-eyes-crossing-the-45-unit-mark-in-2025

Four Layne's team members stand in front of a wall decorated with artwork from the community

The Easiest $10,000 Made in a Day: How Layne’s Built Operations for Volume

the-easiest-10000-made-in-a-day-how-laynes-built-operations-for-volume

From Garage Doors to Chicken Fingers: How This Layne’s Franchisee Found Success

from-garage-doors-to-chicken-fingers-how-this-laynes-franchisee-found-success

virginia-franchisee-secures-real-estate-set-to-open-in-the-first-quarter-of-2025

How These Brothers Are Building a Layne's Chicken Fingers Legacy in Wisconsin

how-these-brothers-are-building-a-laynes-chicken-fingers-legacy-in-wisconsin

Layne’s Chicken Fingers: Executive Q&A, Garrett Reed, CEO

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS