Layne’s Opens 3 Houston Restaurants, Plans Growth in West Texas & the Valley

Layne’s Chicken Fingers, the Soon to be FamousTM chicken finger brand, has opened three new restaurants in the Houston area in the past four months and plans to continue strong expansion across its home state.

“Our Houston-area franchisee, Masroor Fatany, opened his first restaurant with us in June of 2021,” said Samir Wattar, chief operating officer. “He has been growing steadily over the years, but he opened two more in late 2024 and has another two set to open by mid-year. Once those are open, he will have a total of seven in the market.”

Texas expansion plans

This growth is part of Layne’s larger expansion plan, focusing on filling in existing markets and growing in strategic areas.

"Our current franchisees are opening more restaurants and that’s the real sign that we’re on the right track," Wattar said. "This is the validation we look for; we’re so pleased that our franchisees are just as excited about the future as we are."

Now, with a strong presence across Texas, Layne’s is looking to round out development in the state by filling two more key markets.

“We only have two remaining markets available in Texas,” Wattar said. “West Texas and the Valley. East Texas, Dallas, Houston, Austin and San Antonio are all sold; these markets have restaurants under construction currently and will open this year.”

National growth strategy

This Texas growth is representative of Layne’s larger strategy. As the team works to make Layne’s a household name nationwide, it is focused on identifying areas of opportunity where awareness already exists and can be strengthened even further.

"We've been successful in Texas; we have a footprint here," Wattar said. "As such, we’re focused on growing in surrounding markets. This will be great for new franchisees to enter markets that already know and love Layne’s, and a stronger concentration of restaurants will boost brand awareness among new guests."

With nearly 200 units already sold across Texas, there are limited opportunities for new franchisees to grow in the state. The team is looking to partner with the right entrepreneurs to bring the concept to these markets.

"Currently, we’re looking to partner with experienced business people to execute multi-unit franchise deals as we continue to drive growth nationwide," Wattar said. "In Texas, we have limited availability, so now is the time to join."