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Not all franchise marketing budgets are created equally. When establishing a franchise development budget, there are a few things to consider, including starting with a blind budget, looking at the deal holistically and thinking about how much you’re willing to spend to get the right franchisee candidate in place.Budget $25K Per Unit: Here’s Why.In the 2021-2022 time frame, a typical sales budget is $25,000 per unit. So if you want 10 deals in the next year, you would set up your budget by multiplying 10 x $25,000, which is $250,000. Some may look at that number and wince. First, that’s not going to apply to every sale or every franchise unit. Second,&nbsp; here are two compelling reasons why it’s a reasonable figure.&nbsp;<ol><li>If you use a franchise broker network, that’s what you’ll pay. Currently, the typical cost of using a broker is in the neighborhood of $25,000. The benefit of paying a broker is that you’re working a deal that’s come to you. You’re not spending money and time chasing leads that may or may not pan out, but it is still money from your budget.&nbsp; &nbsp;</li><li>You need to think long-term: Determine the deal value.&nbsp; So is that $25K a good allocation of resources or not? Here’s one way to find out: You can calculate the amount of revenue you’ll get from royalties in the first year and beyond. Subtract the initial $25,000 budget from the deal value, and you’ll have your answer as to whether it was money well spent. In other words, don’t think about the immediate expense — think about the long-term revenue. Also, if you’re prospecting the right way, you’ll be able to work with those interested in multi-unit ownership, which gives you a bigger bang for that initial $25K.&nbsp;&nbsp;</li></ol>Study Last Year’s BudgetWhile that $25,000 is a generic, rule-of-thumb budget, another way you can determine your specific marketing budget needs is by simply looking at what you spent last year divided by how many deals came. That gives you a number to start with. The goal, however, should be to improve on that number and shave expenses by utilizing the leads and data you developed last year.&nbsp;Good News: You Don’t Need All the Marketing Cash at OnceOne way to budget for franchise development is to create a rolling budget. That means every time you sell a franchise, you put a portion back into the development budgets, allowing you to build on that sale’s momentum. It’s also possible to extend the timeline of your budgeting by planning 18 months out, rather than a single year. Doing so provides a bit more wiggle room for your budget because the marketing you do today may not pay off for another three, six or even nine months.Look at Target Markets &amp; DataIt’s important to examine your target markets very carefully to see where you need a lift. You may have to shift how you deploy those dollars. Also, study the traffic to your franchise development website. Where is the interest coming from? Where are the actual applications coming from? You can track those data points to understand where and how to deploy your budget.Checklist:<ul><li>Create a blind budget as a starting place.</li><li>Consider the long-term deal value and how much you’re willing to spend for the right candidate.</li><li>Create a rolling budget so every time you sell a franchise, you put some of the funds back into your development budget.</li><li>Leverage your past data to get to a new budget.</li><li>Look at your target markets carefully.&nbsp;</li></ul>Discover more about how to win at franchise development marketing by <a href="https://www.hellomainland.com/how-to-win-at-franchise-development-marketing/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=building-a-frandev-marketing-budget-2717560" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">downloading our free white paper here</a>.

Building a FranDev Marketing Budget

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Dial back, ask what your franchisees are worth to you and think beyond immediate marketing costs to long-term deal value.

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Scaling the Soon-to-Be Famous: How Layne’s Chicken Fingers Leveraged a Mainland Franchise Assessment to Fuel a 110% Growth Surge

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The chicken wars aren’t slowing down. If anything, the quick-service chicken category feels more crowded than ever, with brands battling for real estate, franchisees and customer loyalty. Some have hit a wall.&nbsp;<a href="https://layneschickenfranchising.com/">Layne’s Chicken Fingers</a> has not.&nbsp;In 2025, the Texas-founded Soon to Be Famous™ concept posted 110% footprint growth, doubling its restaurant count in a single year. For a brand that built its early following in College Station near Texas A&amp;M, the leap to national relevance has been swift — but it wasn’t accidental.Behind the expansion is a coordinated effort between Layne’s leadership and PR firm&nbsp;<a href="https://hellomainland.com/">Mainland</a>. The partnership blended operational discipline with sustained media visibility, giving the&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/layneschickenfingers/info">Layne’s</a> brand both the infrastructure and the spotlight needed to grow. With a focus on perfecting chicken fingers, fries and toast, the Layne’s menu is pretty straightforward. But the growth strategy employed was anything but casual.<h2>A Defining Year</h2>By the end of 2025, Layne’s had 40 restaurants open and 10 new franchise owners added to the system. Development momentum continued with a 44-unit agreement and a 15-unit expansion in Wisconsin, pushing the brand toward its ambitiously stated goal of 300 units by 2030.Those numbers quickly began attracting national attention. Layne’s secured the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/future-50-2025/laynes-chicken-fingers">No. 6 position</a> on the Restaurant Business 2025 Future 50 list and ranked No. 366 on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.entrepreneur.com/franchise500">Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500</a>. Systemwide sales grew as well, climbing 67% to reach an impressive $30 million.For the Layne’s leadership team, the growth traces back to a clear philosophy: delicious food and franchise support above all else. Layne’s COO&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/samir-wattar-0a4187a/">Samir Wattar</a> describes the company’s unique approach."Franchisees sign with us for services," he said. "That’s a mind shift because they run restaurants. Part of servicing franchisees is saying no to protect them and protect the brand. We’re building a support organization for a brand that we’re really passionate about."Layne’s treats franchisees as the primary customer. And it’s a mindset that shapes everything from operations to development strategy.<h2>Getting the Word Out Before the Doors Opened</h2>A central piece of Mainland’s approach was securing credible, third-party exposure. Rather than relying solely on traditional advertising, the focus was on great storytelling that would secure earned media in each new market.In Little Rock, Arkansas, Layne’s appeared on KARK-TV (CBS), where Director of Marketing&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashley-reynolds-957a3151/">Ashley Reynolds</a> introduced local viewers to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kark.com/video/game-day-made-easy-with-layne%e2%80%99s-tailgate-packs/11136197/">brand’s tailgate packs</a>. In Oregon, KDRV-TV (ABC) profiled franchisee Dalton Dennis and his efforts to bring&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/laynes-chicken-fingers-dalton-dennis-southern-oregon-2730210">Layne’s to Grants Pass</a>. KWTX-TV (CBS) in Waco covered an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kwtx.com/2025/12/06/restaurant-report-card-waco-central-texas-12525/">upcoming opening in Lampasas</a>.At the national level, outlets such as QSR Magazine, Nation’s Restaurant News and Franchise Times ran deeper features on the brand’s culture and leadership, including coverage of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuyler-e-51047a2a/">Cuyler Esposito’s</a> appointment as vice president of culture and operations.&nbsp;For prospective operators, this kind of coverage signals more than enthusiasm for the brand. It signifies organizational maturity.<h2>Turning Attention Into Traffic</h2>The real impact of that media push showed up at store openings.In Virginia, a franchisee reportedly opened without spending on traditional marketing. As a result of Mainland’s marketing efforts,&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/layneschickenfingers/laynes-chicken-fingers-franchise-six-figure-opening-2729437#stories">opening day traffic backed up onto the highway</a>. Local news coverage had already introduced the brand to the community and explained what made it different.That kind of momentum carries weight beyond consumer traffic. For potential franchisees, seeing a brand featured in Restaurant Business, or highlighted on local television, reinforces confidence. Visibility suggests stability. Stability supports multi-unit decisions.<h2>More Than a Vendor Relationship</h2>Wattar has worked with Mainland across three different concepts. He describes the relationship as long-term and built on trust rather than transaction."They’ve been there for me through thick and thin," Wattar said. "They’ve been there when things are bad and helped me out of it. And they’ve been there for me when things are good and helped me celebrate. I’ve never had the intention of looking elsewhere. The most important thing is having the relationship with the person you’re dealing with and building that trust."Layne’s sets development targets each year: how many restaurants to open, how many franchisees to bring on. And Mainland has become a significant part of that strategic conversation."I’m not an expert in getting leads or PR. But I know how to sell and I believe in our brand," Wattar said. "I rely on Mainland to come up with the ideas. ‘How am I going to achieve my goal?’"<h2>Scaling With Structure</h2>As Layne’s pushes toward 2026 and beyond, the company views public relations and media exposure as part of the scaffolding that supports growth. National expansion requires more than signed agreements. It requires awareness in markets where the brand name might still be unfamiliar. And Mainland can help.The investment to open a Layne’s Chicken Fingers franchise ranges from $451,500 to $1,050,000. For many operators, that figure represents years of saving, planning and personal commitment. It’s something Layne’s Chicken Fingers not only understands but embraces, supporting franchisees at the local level which helps further scale the brand."To us, it’s a job. To them, it’s a livelihood," Wattar said. "The restaurant business has evolved, but the fundamentals haven’t changed. Service. Transparency. Be open. Franchisees are your bread and butter. They’re making the investment. We have to listen to them.”Layne’s growth story isn’t built solely on a hot category or a trending menu item. It’s built on disciplined operations, selective franchise development and a steady drumbeat of visibility in the markets it enters.For brands hoping to follow a similar path, the lesson is straightforward: growth requires both a strong internal foundation and a clear external voice. When those two move in sync, a regional favorite can begin to look like a national contender. And a&nbsp;<a href="https://hellomainland.com/company/#our-services">Mainland franchise assessment</a> can help deliver strategic growth.Growing and selling franchises is difficult. Want to learn more about how 1851 helps franchisors grow their franchises with confidence? Visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.1851growthclub.com">www.1851growthclub.com</a> and see what we can do for you.

The rapidly expanding chicken concept used expert operational insights and earned media placements to secure a landmark 44-unit deal and double its restaurant footprint in a single year.

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Building a FranDev Marketing Budget

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