The Soon to be Famous™ chicken franchise achieved 9% same-store sales growth year over year with more than 220 stores committed.
College Station, TX (RestaurantNews.com) Soon to be Famous™ chicken concept Layne’s Chicken Fingers is closing out another banner year. With 21 restaurants open and hundreds more in development, Layne’s continues to see impressive growth. After achieving 9% same-store sales growth in 2024 and an over-7% increase in guest count, the system is primed for another great year as it looks toward 2025.
“In addition to the footprint and financial growth we’ve seen this year, we’ve done some important work in laying the foundation for our future,” said Samir Wattar, chief operating officer. “We added multiple skilled professionals to the leadership team to ensure we have teams in place and ready to support our owners as we grow rather than trying to build a support structure reactively.”
The franchise’s success in 2024 was driven by strategic market expansions and a focus on supporting franchisees. Layne’s opened new locations in key markets such as Pittsburgh, Houston and Wisconsin, with plans to enter Ohio and expand further in Texas.
“We’ve been very, very busy,” Wattar said. “We’re opening restaurants in new markets like Arkansas, and we have stores under construction in multiple Texas cities.”
These openings are part of a string of nine restaurants, all opening within the span of 90 days. And thanks to the well-established support team, Layne’s is able to provide hands-on help one week prior to and after the opening date of each restaurant.
Every year since 2021, Layne’s has doubled in size, showcasing just how healthy the system is — and will continue to be.
“Right now, we’re in a phase of the business where we’re focused on supporting the owners we have,” Wattar said. “These entrepreneurs have made a huge investment in us, and they trust us and our guidance. So, much of our attention is dedicated to properly growing our teams and continuing to strategize around strengthening the business. However, we are looking forward to strategic expansion with qualified restaurant professionals in some key markets.”
Because it has already established a presence in Texas and is growing in the Midwest, Southeast and Mid-Atlantic, Wattar says Layne’s will continue to grow in concentric circles around its existing locations.
“Our goal is to sign 12 new franchisees, all with multi-unit development deals in these key markets,” Wattar said. “As we grow, we’re consistently looking for measures that affirm the work we’re doing. The performance we’ve seen this year, along with what’s already on the horizon for next year, is just that.”
To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit 1851franchise.com/layneschickenfingers/info.
About Layne’s Chicken Fingers
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.
Franchise opportunities range from $446,500 to $1,015,000 with different buildout options available. Learn more about franchising here.
Contact:
Lauren Turner
Mainland
312-526-3996
lturner@hellomainland.com
