Layne’s Franchise Celebrates Major Growth Milestone With Founder

Soon to be FamousTM chicken finger franchise Layne’s Chicken Fingers is one step closer to fame. With its Janesville, Wisconsin, restaurant opening that took place earlier this year, the brand reached new heights that original leaders never dreamed of, bringing its iconic chicken to an entirely new market.

“When I was the sole owner, before I partnered with the team to pursue franchising, I never envisioned being able to expand like this,” said Mike Garratt, founder of Layne’s. “I thought that maybe I would have a restaurant in Houston, but we were pretty localized to College Station. Spreading to different states is a whole new level of growth, and it’s even cooler to see the restaurant incorporate things that are important to its unique community.

It has the welcoming feel of the Layne’s we have in College Station, but they’ve made it their own. I got emotional at the opening itself, and I still have a hard time putting into words just how proud I am of this accomplishment.”

Layne’s has come a long way from its humble beginnings in College Station in 1994. Though it still serves its beloved crispy chicken fingers and house-made sauces, the brand has leveled up its processes and systems to build an infrastructure that can support its thoughtful expansion nationwide.

In addition to its 17 open restaurants, Layne’s has signed agreements for another 209 — 10 of which have secured leases and 12 of which are in the early stages of development. In the first half of this year, the system saw an 11% increase in same-store-sales compared to 2023 numbers, and it continues to see surging guest traffic numbers, too.

This is all a direct result of Layne’s continued commitment to maintaining the heart of the brand and growing strategically with franchisees who will live up to the mission.

“Part of what’s so special about Layne’s is how at-home our guests feel when they come see us,” Garratt said. “We take things that are important to them and their community and incorporate them into the restaurants. Each store has its own little culture based on the culture of its town. One of my favorite things is to go into these new locations and see what they look like — how the franchisee has tailored them to the guests they’ll be serving.”

Looking toward the future, Garratt says he is proud to know that the franchisees currently working to open their new locations share a similar commitment to the brand and their communities, and each Layne’s location will feel like home for the guests, no matter where “home” is.

“Going to the Janesville opening with Mike was such a cool experience,” said Samir Wattar, chief operating officer. “Layne’s has seen incredible growth in the span of just a few short years, and having the founder — who never imagined the brand reaching these heights — alongside us, getting emotional as we planted a flag in a new state, just reaffirms the value of the work we’re doing.”

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.