Layne’s Chicken Fingers, the fast-growing chicken finger franchise that originated in College Station, Texas, in 1994, is achieving remarkable national expansion. Currently, the brand has over 44 operating restaurants and hundreds more in the pipeline for future development, but it is also preserving the brand identity and guest experience details that make it uniquely “Layne’s.” For the development team, this means taking an approach that, even in periods of seemingly rapid growth, prioritizes the right fit (with franchise partners, markets and specific real estate sites) over just saying “Yes.”

“We’ve had many very successful restaurant openings over the past year, but the reason those have been so successful is that we’ve been intentional and deliberate about the development process,” said Kordell Snyder, director of real estate. “As times change, we’ll adapt and grow, but at the same time, we’re not just throwing anything against the wall and hoping it sticks. We still say no way more than we say yes.”

For the Soon to be Famous™ chicken franchise, even rapid, national growth comes from a baseline of strategic expansion that’s focused intently on the health and long-term success of franchise partners and the larger brand.

A Real Estate Blueprint That Positions Franchisees for Long-Term Success

The experience and service guests receive at Layne’s can put it at the top of the favorites list, but even securing a site that sets franchisees up to deliver that experience takes some serious front-end strategy. 

While Layne’s has a team of real estate experts, including Snyder, they work hand-in-hand with the local entrepreneur to ensure multiple perspectives are considered.

“We’ve been intentional about partnering with franchisees who are familiar with their markets, so there is an element of the conversation where we’re asking them, ‘What do you know about your backyard? What do you believe to be right?’” he said. “It’s a team effort. A lot of our franchisees come from other restaurant concepts and already have relationships with brokers. If they don’t, we’ve been intentional on building relationships with broker networks in major markets across the country so we can help where necessary.” 

Snyder said that process helps the team narrow broad territory rights into a more focused starting point. “Leveraging the knowledge of the franchisee who is local, combined with the broker’s insights and data that we gather, like comparative QSR sales and demographic growth rates, serves as a launching point,” he said. “From there, we can say, ‘You’ve got a 40-unit development area, let’s pick the top 10 to 15 to start looking at.’ Then, we kind of have to let real estate availability drive the process from there.”

By taking a truly collaborative approach and examining the franchisee’s market at large, the real estate team completes due diligence that benefits the development of the first location and additional restaurants in the future.

“One of the things I love about being with Layne’s and how we approach franchising is the working relationship between the franchisor and the franchisee,” Snyder said. “It’s intentionally a long-term relationship. These are not one-off franchise deals. A lot of my background, when I was a broker, was single or maybe up to three-unit deals. I’d help them get one unit open, then we’d have to move on. For Layne’s, the long-term relationship and real estate selection process support one another because, if we can really hit the nail on the head with the first restaurant, that’s encouraging. That’s why many of our owners are ahead of their development schedules.”

Site Selection Specifics for Maximized Returns

Within a given market, Layne’s works carefully to develop sites that truly align with the brand’s identity and how it will grow in the market.

“As we’ve evaluated the brand and our direction, we know we’re in line with those tier one brands like McDonald’s or Chick-fil-A. You don’t expect to see those attached to a strip center; they’re standalone locations,” Snyder said. “We believe the image of our brand is a freestanding, traditional restaurant, and we act like it from a real estate perspective.”

This approach supports the image Layne’s is building as it grows in new markets, and it also provides practical returns for franchisees. While Layne’s does have some non-traditional restaurant locations, growth patterns have shown that a traditional, freestanding approach is best.

“There’s something to be said for non-traditional locations as a way to supplement franchisees’ revenue and access for guests in the market. They can still be profitable locations, but we’ve also looked at several markets where rent and build-out costs for a non-traditional and a traditional location are essentially the same,” Snyder said. “One of the big things we say is that, all things being equal, if you have Deal A and Deal B, one’s traditional, one’s non-traditional, but the cost is the same, or even slightly favoring a non-traditional, you have to evaluate the potential of not only the site, but the market. And nine out of ten times, you need to go with the traditional option because sales volumes are projected to be significantly higher and justify that additional cost.”

This sets the stage for Layne’s owners to deliver on the experience expected of them in the context of a financially smart approach.

Balancing Data, Simplicity and Scalability

Once they’ve opened at a carefully selected site, Layne’s franchisees leverage a well-established system and streamlined operations that keep things moving smoothly. For example, the brand’s tight menu allows teams to focus on serving the “best damn chicken fingers” without getting distracted by too many supplemental menu items or improvised limited-time offers. 

“The name of our game is simplicity. The simple menu is easy and reliable for the guests, but it’s also a benefit for franchisees,” Snyder said. “Franchisees come to us because it’s a simple operation. There’s not a lot of extra effort involved in the back-of-house. The simpler we can make our processes and inventory, the simpler day-to-day operations are, and the more profitable franchisees can be.”

As the brand grows, the leadership team continues to hone these processes where possible, and the development team supports franchisees in identifying and opening in areas and on real estate that lends itself to this straightforward model.

Proven Sustainability Months Down the Line

Choosing not to say “Yes” to every prospective franchisee or potential real estate site that comes their way is a major step in protecting Layne’s future and driving healthy growth rather than just dropping pins on the map because they can. However, as the team continues to prioritize this aspect of the longer-term development process, they’re also keeping a pulse on the ongoing results of currently operating restaurants.

The boom often associated with a new restaurant opening can be a great boost for a growing entrepreneur, but Layne’s looks beyond the “honeymoon” phase of a new opening and takes an honest look at long-term performance.

“We’re logging some of the strategies and initiatives that have been successful in the past, but we’re looking to measure that against longer-term performance,” Snyder said. “Locations have opened successfully, which is great, but really, what we’re looking for on our side is that sustainability after a successful opening. Big openings are awesome, but how is the restaurant performing six months later? Has it continued to hold strong performance as it settles into what we can expect to be ‘normal?’ As we grow, we have more and more opportunities to look at these trends across a larger spread of restaurants and continue to hone what really works and what will set our franchisees up for healthy growth in their own markets, regardless of which market they develop in.”

To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/layneschickenfingers.