Layne’s Chicken Fingers, with 13 restaurants open and another 113  sold, has had another monumental year, making great bounds toward its goal of having 50 units open and 200 sold by 2025. This year alone, it opened four new restaurants, acquired the original three in College Station, Texas and signed multiple deals — including one that sold out all of Nashville — that account for a total of 48 restaurants awarded.

“We’re very excited about the openings we had this year. We ventured outside of Texas, opening in Morgantown, Virginia and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and we’re seeing great successes there,” says Samir Wattar, COO at Layne’s. “We opened our first drive-thru-only model — that has been a huge success and is one of our top restaurants. We’re on the right track, and we’re excited for next year.”

Wattar said the brand is projecting 12 openings next year as they continue working to fill out their home state and expand in other major markets nationwide. Though the brand has been around since 1994, its presence was concentrated in College Station, Texas for many years, and the push for Layne’s Chicken Fingers franchise expansion is relatively new. This combination of tradition and innovation has proven to serve the brand well with awareness and demand continuing to grow.

Notably, the number of leads is exploding, and new franchisees are excitedly committing to multi-unit deals, demonstrating a shared understanding of what this brand — and its teams — bring to the table.

“We’re seeing an increase in leads. There was one week recently that we had three discovery days,” adds Wattar. “We have two more discovery days before the end of the year, and the thing about these discovery days is that last year we were selling the brand, and now, we’re explaining the brand. People know who we are; it’s been fun.”

Over the past year, Wattar said prospective franchisees have become more aware of the brand and its successes, and this brand recognition is driving more excitement, contributing to an even brighter future.

To support the growing system, Layne’s Chicken Fingers has worked to develop employees internally and bring in additional experts to support the brand. One of the most notable employee growth stories of the year is that of Jason Cabrera. Cabrera started with Layne’s as a teenager, buttering toast and washing dishes. But he was soon promoted, and just after he turned 19, he became the General Manager of the Lewisville restaurant.

Cabrera was able to drive sales up by 27 percent and continued to serve the brand, leading his team and running a tight ship. Naturally, the Layne’s leadership team took note of his dedication and success, and this year, he began working as a traveling trainer to support new store openings.

“Jason showed very great tact for training and developing new people, so we knew he was the perfect person for our training team,” says Wattar. “He’s excited, and I’m excited. I’ve worked with him one-on-one to develop his general leadership skills, and I take a lot of pride in Jason. He has proven me right every step of the way.”

Cabrera supported the opening of the Beaumont, Texas restaurant this year, and the same franchisee, who is slated to open another restaurant early next year, has already requested his presence at the next opening.

The work of the entire team is shining through, demonstrating strong results from franchise development efforts, local training, marketing and guest experience. In addition to franchise expansion, Layne’s secured high double-digit sales increases this year and notable traffic increases, too. Corporate stores saw a 31 percent spike in sales and a 17 percent increase in traffic compared to 2022/ Notably, an increase in both of these numbers indicates a true growth in interest from guests, new and existing, rather than just a price increase.

With all of these developments, Layne’s is looking forward to a bright 2024, planning to open 12 new restaurants, sell out its home state of Texas and continue growing its team as it brings its iconic chicken fingers and hometown service feel to even more cult followers across the state and nation.