Why Real Estate Brokers and Landlords Favor Layne’s Chicken Fingers

In franchise development, real estate selection can be viewed as transactional and sometimes highly stressful. It’s important that franchise owners secure the right spot for their businesses, and doing this sometimes means leveraging preexisting relationships and brand identity to win the deal. As Layne’s Chicken Fingers, the Soon to be Famous™ chicken finger franchise, continues its national expansion, it’s becoming a favorite among real estate brokers and developers.

By winning over not just guests but other decision-makers throughout the development process, Layne’s is making connections in the industry and further streamlining growth for its owners.

“At a high level, I think it comes down to the excitement that’s around Layne’s and the chicken sphere in general,” said Kordell Snyder, director of real estate. “I think everyone is trying to get their hands on a chicken finger concept if they can.”

Landlords and brokers are actively seeking strong concepts in the booming chicken category, and Layne’s position in the market makes it a prime candidate for these relationships.

Layne’s does not require costly ground-up builds or total teardowns to get its restaurants open. By adapting to existing properties, often those formerly occupied by other QSR concepts, Layne’s can limit downtime and ultimately fast-track cash flow for everyone involved.

“Our ability to be flexible and do things like take over an old Burger King or Taco Bell gives us a lot of appeal to landlords,” Snyder said. “To have someone who can come in and won’t need the downtime (and lead time before they start paying rent) to knock a building down and build a new one is a big appeal.”

“Time kills deals,” he continued. “The speed of being able to execute deals and the flexibility we have with our real estate model is really important.”

Beyond getting into the space quickly, Layne’s prior performance builds confidence among landlords that the relationship will go smoothly and that they can expect long-term occupancy and a low risk of closure.

“Landlords just want the security of someone who will be able to pay the rent,” Snyder said. “Layne’s is strong, growing, and has good revenues. That’s ‘good credit,’ if you will, with landlords.”

At the system level, brokers and landlords trust Layne’s, but this also translates into the more personal relationships individual franchisees have with their real estate professionals.

Real estate professionals want Layne’s as a part of their portfolios, and this becomes clear during the selection and negotiation processes. Because they enjoy working with Layne’s, owners will sometimes gain access to premium spots, including off-market sites, before competitors do.

“Real estate brokers represent important relationships for us because of their role with top-performing operators,” said CEO Garrett Reed. “Our top-performing owners are experienced in this industry and trusted by their real estate brokers to continue steadily growing. Those brokers are excited to work with us because they see those relationships as a way to be a part of our growth story while driving their own professional success, too.”

“There’s a lot of security that comes with a brand that can show experienced operators, good balance sheets and multiple multi-unit agreements,” Snyder said. “Landlords see those factors and think, ‘This owner has done it 25 times. Why couldn’t they do it one more time?’ That gives us some really strong credibility.”

This is especially valuable when owners are competing against other brands for a single location. Layne’s experienced franchisee profile, recent brand growth and executive team support give landlords even more confidence in the deal.

Through both its financial performance and carefully designed flexible prototype, Layne’s has designed a model that shines in the current real estate environment and easily catches the eye of brokers and landlords alike. For Layne’s owners, the site selection process is about more than just finding an empty space. It’s an opportunity to leverage the power of the brand they’re associated with and align with what developers want to bring to their markets.

With an already strong standing in the real estate community, Layne’s provides owners a clear path for quick market entry in prime sites and successful multi-unit expansion.