Layne’s Chicken Fingers chases massive franchise growth in crowded category

If it seems like there are exponentially more chicken restaurants out there today than just a few years ago, that’s because there are: According to Technomic Top 500 data, the number of chicken chain locations has increased by 46% in the past decade, a net increase of nearly 6,200 locations.

But that competition isn’t deterring Layne’s Chicken Fingers from shooting for the stars with its growth. The Frisco, Texas-based concept — which was founded by Mike Layne in 1994 in College Station, Texas — expects to double its unit count from 40 to 80 by the end of this year and have more than 500 open by 2029.

CEO Garrett Reed, who was part of the group that acquired Layne’s Chicken Fingers in 2017, said the leadership team spent three years developing a franchise infrastructure that maximized franchisee profitability and ensured the brand could grow quickly. The company is enjoying the fruits of that labor now, and Reed said he thinks there’s room for as many as 4,000 Layne’s locations in the U.S.

Reed joined the latest episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches to talk about how he thinks the chicken category will shake out in the coming years and why he thinks Layne’s franchise model is uniquely positioned to fuel growth.

In this conversation, you’ll learn more about why:

• When introducing franchising, take your time and stress-test the model

• By ensuring franchisee profitability, you can ensure future growth

• A dose of humility can rev up your business’s growth

• There’s plenty of runway left for chicken — but quality and culture will determine the winners and losers

Contact Sam Oches at [email protected].