Franchise Deep Dive: Layne’s Chicken Fingers Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data

The College Station, Texas-based chicken finger franchise has emerged as a fan-favorite restaurant franchise as a result of its friendly service and high-quality food offerings.

By Jeff DwyerStaff Writer

12:12PM • 11/29/23

LAST UPDATED: October 9, 2023
FRANCHISE WEBSITE: https://layneschickenfranchising.com/
NUMBER OF LOCATIONS: 12+
REPORTED COST TO GET IN: $545,000 to $1,190,000
REPORTED ROI (Item 19): $1,570,330 (For the top-performing franchise in 2022)

Layne’s Chicken Fingers* is a fast-casual restaurant franchise based out of Texas that offers a variety of twists on classic fried chicken fare, including a three-finger chicken sandwich, a fried chicken club sandwich with bacon and cheddar, and Layne’s Soon to be Famous™ Chicken Fingers, served with a variety of housemade dipping sauces.

Layne’s Chicken Fingers was founded in 1994 in College Station, Texas near Texas A&M University by Mike Layne. One year later, a college student named Mike Garratt visited the restaurant for lunch. On his way inside, he stopped to clean the restaurant’s flowerbeds. Layne noticed the gesture and offered Garratt a job, who accepted. Later on, Garratt would become the sole owner of Layne’s before retiring in 2023. Since its inception, the brand has become a fan-favorite as a result of its small-town charm, friendly service and iconic chicken fingers.

How Many Layne’s Chicken Fingers Locations Are There?

Despite being relatively new to the franchising space, Layne’s Chicken Fingers has seen significant growth and has 12 open locations across Texas, West Virginia and Pennsylvania. The brand also has roughly 63 franchises sold and has its sights set on further growth in its home state of Texas, along with Florida, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Arizona.

What Is Layne’s Chicken Fingers’ Business Model?

At its core, the business model of Layne’s Chicken Fingers is serving its delicious simple-to-execute menu of fried chicken choices to its customers in a family-friendly atmosphere. As noted on the brand’s website, Layne’s Chicken Fingers offers an “unmatched” franchise opportunity. Layne’s Chicken Fingers, which started with one location in College Station, Texas, now boasts more than 10 locations in the state with even more in development as a result of its proven concept.

The brand demonstrated its resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic as the locations that were open during the event not only survived, but they saw 40% year-over-year sales growth. The franchise’s success through such a time can be attributed to the brand’s delivery and drive-thru models, which at the time made up 70% of its traffic.

Layne’s is actively seeking franchise candidates who are passionate, involved in their communities, and want to bring exceptional customer service and food to new markets.

“Our goal is to make Layne’s a household name, and we will help our franchisees bring our culture of delivering perfect food with outstanding service each and every order, guaranteeing return customers who can’t get enough,” said CEO Garrett Reed.

The brand lists the following benefits for investing in a Layne’s Chicken Fingers franchise:

Hands-on corporate support
Locally owned and locally sources
Real estate flexibility
Territory available
10% same-store sales (SSS) increase over 2019
Turnkey restaurant model

How Much Can Layne’s Chicken Fingers Franchise Owners Make?

According to the brand’s 2023 Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD), the top-performing Layne’s Chicken Fingers franchise earned a gross revenue of $1,570,330. The average gross revenue for the top four best-performing Layne’s Chicken Fingers franchises is $1,369,176.

How Much Does It Cost To Open a Layne’s Chicken Fingers Franchise?

The estimated initial investment to open a Layne’s Chicken Fingers franchise ranges from $545,000 to $1,190,000. This investment is broken down into the following costs:

Initial Franchise Fee: $35,000
Lease Deposit and Rent (Three Months): $7,500 to $50,000
Utility Deposits: $5,000
Government Licenses and Permits: $1,500 to $10,000
Blueprints and Plans: $10,000 to $50,000
Leasehold Improvements: $250,000 to $500,000
Signage and Graphics (Interior and Exterior): $7,000 to $40,000
Furniture and Fixtures: $10,000 to $75,000
POS: $8,000 to $15,000
Computer Hardware and Software: $3,500 to $7,500
Kitchen Equipment and Small Wares; $150,000 to $250,000
Professional Services: $5,000 to $7,500
Initial Inventory: $10,000 to $25,000
Small Wares, Uniforms and Initial Suppliers: $7,000 to $15,000
Insurance: $5,000 to $35,000
Travel and Related Expenses While Training: $2,000 to $5,000
Initial Opening Assistance: $3,500 to $10,000
Grand Opening Advertising and Promotion: $10,000 to $25,000
Additional Funds: $15,000 to $30,000

What Is the Franchise Fee for Layne’s Chicken Fingers?

The initial franchise fee required to open a Layne’s Chicken Fingers franchise is $35K. If you sign a multi-unit development agreement, the cost to open additional locations after the initial first unit is $17,500 each.

Who’s On Layne’s Chicken Fingers' Leadership Team?

Garrett Reed — CEO
Samir Wattar — COO
Matthew O’Reilly — CFO
Richard Broadhead — Director of Marketing

What Helpful Articles Can I Read to Learn More About Layne’s Chicken Fingers?

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*This brand is a paid partner of 1851 Franchise. For more information on paid partnerships please click here.