The Great Franchisee: Noah Kara, Layne’s Chicken Fingers, Austin

For the first time in its 27-year history, chicken franchise Layne’s Chicken Fingers* is coming to Austin. 

After a stint in the corporate world, Houston native Noah Kara decided to follow in the footsteps of his entrepreneur father and open his own business. After meeting with Layne’s corporate team, Kara quickly decided it was the perfect opportunity for both him and the Austin market and signed onto a multi-unit deal with the franchise.

We spoke to Kara to learn more about his journey to franchising.

1851 Franchise: Tell us your story – what did you do before franchising?

Noah Kara: I was born and raised in Houston. I come from a family of entrepreneurs; my father is an entrepreneur. I personally went to college and studied in business finance and entrepreneurship, and I started off working for a local c-store operator in their accounting department as a co-op-slash-internship, and that translated over to me working for them after college. I always wanted to get into business. I had a few stints in corporate America that I didn’t end up pursuing for long periods of time because I wanted to get into business myself. 

1851: How did you initially find out about franchising and what was your perception of franchising before becoming a franchise owner?

Kara: I wasn’t sure which direction I wanted to head into, but I had these two mentors who are local franchisees, and I reached out to them. They’re very good at what they do, and I told them I wanted to learn the franchising business. They showed me their operations, they welcomed me in and opened their doors for me. They help and coach me to this day.

1851: How did you decide you wanted to be a franchisee?

Kara: I wanted to get into business. My father’s a passive real estate investor, and Houston’s a big market for the QSR industry, so I wanted to find a business that I could cross-leverage with the real estate industry. I could become a developer, but I wanted something that would give me a better return, and I’m very passionate about food and foodservice. I was interested in it prior, but I watched this movie called “The Founder” which is about Ray Kroc, the founder of McDonald’s. After that it became exactly what I wanted to do.

1851: How did you perform your research?

Kara: I interviewed with a number of brands. Houston is a very competitive market for QSR. I didn’t want to move away from my family. I wanted to stay close, and a lot of the national brands in Texas are taken. I was reaching out to brands that I personally am a customer of, places I actually go and eat. If I like the food, that’s kind of a no brainer. I did my research, and I couldn’t find anything in Houston for a long time, but I was hell-bent on starting in Houston because it’s my backyard. I started getting offers within different markets from different brands outside of Houston but nothing appealed to me enough to leave my hometown until I met with Layne’s.

1851: Why did you pick Layne's? What excited you most about the potential? 

Kara: I met with Layne’s through researching different brands. I had already been introduced to the chicken business. I love the chicken business, and I read their story and immediately reached out to them. Then we had our initial meeting, and I really enjoyed my time with the executive team. It’s a very family-based culture which is exactly what I was looking for. They took me around Dallas and showed me their restaurants. The people were great, the product was great and this was something that I wouldn’t mind leaving Houston for.

1851: What are your dreams with the business? What does the future look like?

Kara: My dream and goal for this business is to be a big multi-unit franchisee for Layne’s. I want to be able to grow this business. I have this dream of setting up a company or an enterprise for generations to come in my family and with Layne’s, that is definitely a possibility. I want it to be where when I hang up my jersey, my kids can come in and pick up where I left off and keep this going.

1851: What advice would you have for others looking at buying a franchise?

Kara: Never give up and always believe in yourself. If you have a vision, follow it 200% of the way. I technically did not have any experience within the foodservice franchising industry. My family doesn’t come from that background, nor were they involved with any other brand. I had to start from scratch and do the dirty work from the ground up. A lot of people, including my own family, did not think this was a possibility, and it was very discouraging at times but I continued to believe in myself and I was able to sign a deal with Layne’s. Also, be sure that this is what you want to do. The restaurant business is very difficult and this is just the beginning for me. The harder you work, the luckier you get. You have to be 200% committed the entire way.

1851: What do you do in your personal time?

Kara: I love hanging out with my family and friends, watching movies or going out to eat. I love playing sports. Basketball and football are my two favorites. I love board games, spending time with my family and friends, traveling and staying active.

ABOUT LAYNE'S CHICKEN FINGERS

Founded in 1994 in College Station, the original location became a Texas A&M legend known for its small-town charm, friendly service, iconic chicken fingers and secret sauce. While opening corporate locations across the Dallas-Fort Worth area, the leadership team focused on fine-tuning its operations and starting to franchise.  Now, the company is planning to bring Layne’s Soon to be Famous™ Chicken Fingers to the rest of the world with plans to open 100 locations by the next four years.