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While franchisors may have a general idea of their sales goals, many don’t know their ideal outcome when it comes to PR, digital marketing, creative content or social media. If you haven't accurately defined the goal of these tools, what’s the purpose of having them?Setting goals up front will help give more purpose to what you’re trying to accomplish with creative content and storytelling to reach your projected outcomes.&nbsp;Defining the Right Franchise Development GoalsSo, how do you create your goal? In the world of franchise development, the usual goal is simple: Grow the franchise. But creating strategic growth goals should be about more than just hitting a certain number of units signed.Start with defining the growth outcome you hope to achieve. Use this framework of questions to help you create a plan:Number of Desired Units: Number of Franchisees (if greater than unit sales): Projected Marketing Budget: Marketing Budget / Number of Deals (this will give you a sense of what you can spend per deal): Number of Existing Franchisees Who Can Expand: Last Year’s Data: Budget: Number of Deals: Cost Per Deal: Number of Existing Franchisee Who Expanded:The right goals should be focused on optimizing growth while keeping an eye on <a href="https://1851franchise.com/unit-economics---the-best-way-to-drive-and-measure-profitability-at-the-unit-level-3216">unit-level economics</a> (increasing those will help drive franchise sales). To find this balance requires strategic analysis of which areas are positioned to grow and the marketing resources that will be needed to get there.That is why franchise development marketing goals need to be more about finding the right people who will succeed in the long-term, rather than just making a quick sale. Whether it be a goal to develop the best <a href="https://1851franchise.com/franchisedevelopmentawards">franchise development website</a> possible or to create <a href="https://1851franchise.com/how-to-help-prospective-franchisees-find-your-brand-2713228#home">localized content</a> (written, PR, video, social) that shares their story in target markets, the projected outcome should be getting in front of ideal candidates and convincing them to join the brand.Using Projected Outcomes to Create a Plan for GrowthAt the front of any franchisor-agency relationship is the question “What is the ideal outcome or purpose?” Picture where the brand will be in a few years, and then work backward to create an outline for the tools that will be needed to get there.&nbsp;Your purpose could be anything from simply boosting your business’ visibility to finding more prospects to buy into the franchise or even building a strategy to exit the business down the road. Now that you’ve defined that, we’ll build the structure underneath it using our <a href="https://www.hellomainland.com/capabilities/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=developing-your-goals-and-projected-outcomes-2717558" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">conveyor belt</a> approach:<ol><li>Strategy &amp; Consultation: We’ll get to the bottom of Why You/Why Now.&nbsp;</li><li>Owned: We’ll create assets to share your story. This includes things like stories on our publications (like <a href="https://1851franchise.com/">1851Franchise.com</a>), videos, social posts and websites.&nbsp;</li><li>Earned: Here’s where our media relations team secures coverage to add credibility and create a larger audience.&nbsp;</li><li>Paid: We boost your storytelling using paid digital marketing. We’ll really dial in to your target market, audience and persona to make sure they’re seeing what we’ve created.</li><li>Data, Analytics &amp; Reporting: Finally, we’ll provide comprehensive data and analytics to help you better understand what works and what didn’t.&nbsp;</li></ol>When this has all been put into action, you can look back to your original goal to determine whether you’ve accomplished what you set out to achieve.&nbsp;Remember, franchisors aren’t going to meet all of their goals the first time around. Setting the right growth goals takes time, communication and practice. As brands reach new milestones and learn what winning looks like for them, they will be better positioned to create the kinds of franchise development marketing tools that will help them build an achievable plan for success.Checklist:<ul><li>Understand the tools at their disposal and use them to set goals for their ideal outcome.</li><li>Define the financial outcome they hope to achieve.&nbsp;</li><li>Focus on optimizing growth.</li><li>Create an outline for how they’ll use the items in their toolkit by following our conveyor belt approach, and then put it into action.&nbsp;</li><li>Look back at their original goal to analyze what worked best.</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=developing-your-goals-and-projected-outcomes-2717558" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">downloading our free white paper here</a>.

Developing Your Goals and Projected Outcomes

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With the right tools and strategies, brands can break their to-do list into actionable steps to reach their goals.

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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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Developing Your Goals and Projected Outcomes

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