Operations

Layne’s Chicken Fingers to open 9 restaurants in 90 days

Photo: Layne's Chicken Fingers

February 12, 2025

Layne's Chicken Fingers is expected to open nine restaurants in 90 days as part of its growth plan, according to a press release.

Layne's opened new locations in key markets such as Pittsburgh, Houston and Wisconsin, with plans to enter Ohio and expand further in its home state of Texas.

"We've been very, very busy," Samir Wattar, Layne's COO, said in the release. "We're opening restaurants in new markets like Arkansas, and we have stores under construction in multiple Texas cities."

With a support team, the brand is able to provide hands-on help one week prior to and after the opening date of each restaurant.

The brand has doubled in size every year since 2021.

"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 said 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."

The brand has 22 restaurants open and hundreds more in development.