Restaurant Dive: How Layne’s Chicken Fingers Plans to Grow to 50 Units by 2027

Layne’s Chicken Fingers, the Soon to be Famous™ fried chicken concept, is eyeing the 50-unit mark by 2027 after a period of impressive franchise growth. The strength of the model as it grows and its ability to pursue such aggressive growth in a healthy way can be largely attributed to its leadership team and strategic partnerships.

Layne’s corporate team is made up of industry veterans, many of whom had personal experience in Layne’s restaurants prior to joining the brand on a professional basis.

Samir Wattar, COO of Layne’s, has played a crucial role in preparing the brand to scale by ensuring the franchise is well-established in its operational, marketing and supply chain support. The Layne’s corporate team also partners with its sister company, Main & Main Capital Group, a real estate development company, to support franchisees throughout the real estate selection and build-out process.

Currently, the brand has sold 63 units in addition to its 10 open locations, and its flexible real estate model is a key driver in supporting seamless expansion. The corporate team works with franchisees to embrace sites of many sizes, from around 900 square feet to over 2,000, and multiple build-outs, including drive-thru-only, inline and endcap locations.

As it grows, the brand is looking to have 50 restaurants open by 2027, and it is looking to both sell out its home state, Texas, as well as expand more broadly in states nationwide.