Mainland

I have found a new secret that I am excited to share with you.However, this is going to be a hard one to solve for. Rather, a harder one.This month, as I always do, I looked at our franchisee survey results to find an insight, and found one that was more prevalent than month’s before. YouTube.When looking at where people gained their research, I noticed this as new consistency from the voices of franchise owners. They used the website, they used 1851, they used Facebook, they used LinkedIn, as they usually do, but this time I saw a lot more YouTube. Roughly 30% referenced it in the last month.What does this mean?It’s time to build up your YouTube channel: I picked four random client brands and searched for INSERTBRAND YouTube channel and found nothing. What’s interesting is that we have been conditioned to put energy toward Facebook (0 reach) and LinkedIn (0 reach) (NOTE: Join me on Coffee &amp; Analytics to gain more insights into this), yet, very few advise (or strongly recommend) putting energy into YouTube because of the expense of video. Video isn’t expensive, it’s just “harder.” Based on the candidate’s lead, this may be changing.You don’t need to be a movie director to make great YouTube content. Many franchise brokers and consultants are filling up YouTube with franchise content. The challenge is, much of it is not overly believable or trustworthy. The most trustworthy comes directly from the brand. Thus, create some rough content. The story is what counts, not the prettiness of the video quality.We started building up our video library to help franchisors solve this. Meet the Zee, Meet the Zor, Meet the Supplier have all contributed voices about franchise education. Then, we report on it. We are trying to impact franchising through video and content storytelling. And, it’s working. 5 franchisees said they used 1851 and YouTube.A new video we are creating is a review of the FDD from the zor. By creating this, we are doing a few things. One, giving the franchisor a voice in educating the franchisee about what is franchising. Two, supplementing the FDD review call with an additional information video (passive and proactive buyers can use as a tool). Remember, if we all go back to the day before we were in franchising, we would say we didn’t know what it was. Yet, we are expecting the franchisee to know what it is immediately upon landing on our Website.&nbsp;Talk with your franchisees. Tell their stories. Whether us or you, you need to give a voice back to your franchisee. Franchisees are the best tool for selling franchises.So, the tactics:Create a branded franchise YouTube channel.Create a video of you explaining why your brand.Create a video of you interviewing a member of your support staff or a franchisee.Create a video of you explaining your FDD.Create a plan to start interviewing your franchisees.&nbsp;Start creating. Start impacting search of the candidate. Start impacting the search results. Buy some Google ads for YouTube.Thus, the next thing we will push is YouTube.One more challenge though. In a world where we chase leads, it may take time for your videos to mature and create leads. But, I am now 100% confident that this should be a part of your franchise marketing mix.

Coffee and Analytics: The Next Big Secret to Franchise Marketing

1851 Franchise

https://www.youtube.com/embed/8YiwBOaDN-A

More franchisees are turning to YouTube for their research. You don’t need a movie director to make great video content; you just need to get out there. Start creating, and start impacting the search of your candidates.

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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.

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