Brand Shoutouts
Founded 1994 in College Station, Texas by Mike Layne. 30+ locations as of 2025, 300+ units in development. Began franchising in 2021. Complete franchise economics, unit data, and operator analysis across 22 primary sources.
By Justin K. Sellers · 22 min read · February 27, 2026
Layne's Chicken Fingers was founded in 1994 by Mike Layne in College Station, Texas, near Texas A&M University. Mike Garratt — a Texas A&M graduate — became the owner in 1999 and ran the brand for nearly two decades as a beloved local institution. In 2017, Garrett Reed and Matthew O'Reilly acquired the brand, with Reed leveraging his background in QSR real estate development to build the franchise infrastructure. Layne's began franchising in 2021. As of 2025, the system has surpassed 30 open locations with more than 300 units in development, and the brand is targeting 80 locations by end of 2026.
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When you're scaling from 8 to 45 locations in three years, most brands cut corners.
Layne's Chicken Fingers hired 28 home office support staff for 45 restaurants.
That's 1 support person for every 1.6 locations — significantly better than what we typically see in emerging franchise systems.
In our view, they're not selling territories — they're building infrastructure.
And it's working: 67% year-over-year sales growth, $30M in systemwide revenue, ranked #6 on Restaurant Business's 2025 Future 50 list.
All while maintaining the small-town Texas A&M vibe that started it in 1994.
In our view, that's what discipline looks like in practice.
[FAQ_SECTION]
Garrett Reed didn't stumble into Layne's.
He worked in-house real estate for Starbucks, Corner Bakery, Dunkin', Radio Shack, and Zales. Started his own restaurant development company (Main & Main Capital Group) in 2004. Still thriving today, specializing in site selection and market studies for QSR brands.
The Layne's Story:Reed grew up in College Station eating at the original Layne's as a Texas A&M student. The chicken was different. The culture was different. The whole vibe was different.
In 2015, he approached long-time owner Mike Garratt about buying the brand. Took two years of convincing — and probably some dominoes at The Dixie Chicken.
Bought it in 2017 with partner Matthew O'Reilly.
Then did something most new franchise owners don't do:
They waited.Three years building infrastructure. Three corporate test stores in DFW (Frisco, Allen, Lewisville). Standardizing operations. Formalizing training. Getting the supply chain right.
They didn't touch franchising until they knew they could support it properly.
2021: They hired Samir Wattar as COO. Samir Wattar's Background:- VP of Supply Chain & Franchise Development at Fuzzy's Taco Shop - VP of Supply Chain & Franchise Development at MOOYAH (helped grow from 32 to 100+ units) - VP of Operations & Procurement at MOOYAH - Senior Director of Operations at Pollo Campero
What Wattar Built:When he joined, Layne's had different distributors across locations. He streamlined to one vendor, one distributor system-wide. Built operations manuals. Formalized training programs. Created construction teams.
The franchise infrastructure existed BEFORE they started selling territories.
Reed's Philosophy:"Our goal wasn't to sell franchises; our goal was to build an organization that provides services to the franchisees." — Garrett Reed, Insite Brazos Valley (2024)
- Hand-breaded chicken fingers (regular or spicy) - Crinkle-cut fries - Texas Toast - Six signature sauces (Layne's Sauce, Ranch, Honey Mustard made in-house; plus Jalapeño Ranch, BBQ, Gravy) - Chicken sandwiches and wraps - Milkshakes
The Differentiator:Breading. Not batter.
That's it. That's the technical difference that creates the signature crunch. It's a similar commitment to Cluck Clucks' no-freezer, no-warmer halal chicken model — both brands betting that fresh preparation creates a product frozen competitors would struggle to replicate.
The spicy option? Now 20% of sales mix.
Everything's built around one question: Can we execute this perfectly, repeatedly, at volume?
No trendy pivots. No menu bloat. No LTO circus.
Just obsessive refinement of chicken fingers done right.
The Operational Advantage:Focused menu = faster training, consistent execution, kitchens designed for volume.
Streamlined operations = less complexity for multi-unit operators.
You're not managing dozens of SKUs. You're managing chicken fingers, fries, toast, and sauces.
- 2022: 8 locations - 2023: 9 locations - 2024: 20 locations - 2025: 45 locations (projected) - Target: 300 units by 2030
Current Footprint (2025):- 45 locations operating - 225 units in development - 18 franchisees — 100% multi-unit developers - Markets: Texas (home base), Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Arkansas, Georgia, Virginia, Florida, Wyoming, Tennessee, Oregon
Recent Expansion Wins (Q3 2025 alone):- 68 franchise agreements signed - 44-unit deal for West Texas - 13-unit Wisconsin expansion - 8-unit West Texas deal - 3-unit Oregon entry - 10 new franchisee partners added to the system
Real Estate Flexibility:Multiple prototypes to maximize franchisee ROI:
- Freestanding with drive-thru (highest volume) - Drive-thru only ($2M+ sales volumes reported) - Inline/endcap locations - Dine-in focused
Why This Matters:
Can't find a freestanding pad? Go inline. Limited space? Drive-thru only works. Market supports dine-in? You've got that option.
This flexibility matters when real estate is expensive and competitive.
Franchise vs. Corporate Split Analysis:Layne's operates an almost entirely franchise-driven system with a small corporate footprint maintained for standards purposes. The three original DFW test stores — Frisco, Allen, Lewisville — were built as corporate proof-of-concept locations before any franchising began. These corporate stores served as the operational laboratory where Reed, O'Reilly, and Wattar standardized the recipes, training protocols, supply chain, and construction systems before trusting any of it to independent operators. Today, the brand operates 45 locations with 18 franchisees — all 100% multi-unit developers.
In our view, the "infrastructure before franchise" approach is the defining structural decision in Layne's story. Most franchise concepts sell territories first and build support systems after — Layne's inverted that. The result is a franchise system where the support infrastructure (28 home office staff at 45 locations = 1 per 1.6 locations) is already over-built for the current unit count. That over-investment in support is only possible because Wattar and Reed were generating cash from the corporate locations while the franchise system was being built, not burning cash building franchise infrastructure after the revenue was promised.
- Total Investment: $451,500 - $1,050,000 - Franchise Fee: $47,500 - $50,000 - Royalty: 5% of gross revenues - Marketing Fee: 2% of monthly sales
Reported Performance:- Gross Revenue: ~$1,987,510 (per FDD data) - Estimated Earnings: $238,502 - $298,127 (per QSR Research Hub analysis) - Estimated Payback Period: 3.3-5.3 years (per QSR Research Hub analysis) - Prime Cost: 55.3%
How It Stacks Up:[TABLE] Brand | Investment | AUV (2024) Layne's Chicken Fingers | $451K-$1M | ~$1.99M Dave's Hot Chicken | $386K-$1.6M | $3M Raising Cane's | $768K-$1.9M | $6.2M [/TABLE]
The Trade-Off:- ✅ Lower investment than Cane's ($451K-$1M vs $768K-$1.9M) - ✅ Strong support infrastructure (28 home office staff for 45 locations) - ✅ Ranked #6 on Restaurant Business 2025 Future 50 (67% sales growth YoY) - ✅ Selective franchising (no dedicated sales department, every prospect vetted by Reed/Wattar/O'Reilly personally) - ❌ Lower AUV than competitors (~$2M vs $3M-$6M) - ❌ Rapid expansion (45 to 300 units) risks straining that support ratio
Recognition:- #6 on Restaurant Business 2025 Future 50 list (50% unit increase, 67% sales increase YoY) - #366 on Entrepreneur's 2026 Franchise 500 - $30M systemwide sales in 2024
"Layne's is WAY better than Cane's. The chicken and fries come out hot and seasoned, and the Texas toast is really good. Their signature sauce is similar to Cane's with more pepper and salt." — Yelp review
"First experience with Layne's. The Chicken Fingers and French Fries were great. Much better than Cane's and Chick-fil-A. Layne's sauce is more smooth tasting than Cane's and better." — TripAdvisor Roanoke review
On Service Culture:"Layne's is ELITE! The chicken finger meal is my go-to — the chicken is moist, the crinkle-cut fries are crispy, and it comes with a side of toast and a drink!" — Yelp review
"Customer service is awesome and the spicy tenders are delicious! Can't forget the Layne's original sauce." — TripAdvisor review
"Excellent customer service and food. The drive-through lady was very nice and handed in my food very quickly." — TripAdvisor Frisco review
From Recent Openings:"Layne's never disappoints! Chicken is great and French fries are crispy. Will always return!! The customer service is always top-notch!" — TripAdvisor review
Pattern: Customers consistently mention fresh preparation, friendly service, and generous portions. That's the cult following they built over 30 years — starting as one spot near Texas A&M in 1994. THE CHALLENGING Quality Consistency Issues:"The review everybody has been waiting for. Layne's Chicken Fingers has finally opened in Parma and it did not disappoint! Customer service was top notch. I will definitely be back." — TikTok review
"I used to be a fan when Layne's first opened up. But the quality of chicken has gone down dramatically. The chicken fingers are no longer fresh, juicy, or moist. They taste like the tenders you get at the grocery store that have been sitting under a heat lamp." — Yelp review
Operational Execution:"I had the 3-Finger Combo today. The chicken was awful! First of all none of the chicken pieces were shaped like any tenders or strips or fingers that I've ever seen. They were smallish round discs. But the worst part is that 75% of the chicken was gristle." — TripAdvisor review
"The fries were cold keep in mind I didn't even wait for my order or nothing chicken was not the best but still 6/10. The drinks taste like the ice machine is dirty." — Birdeye review
Pricing Pressure:"Pretty good chicken fingers, pretty good sauce, filthy floors... Were so greasy you can barely stand up." — Yelp review
Employee Experience (Mixed):"I'm not sure how businesses like this can charge almost $13 for tenders so small. My fries are the same size as my chicken tenders..." — Yelp review
"Laynes chicken was fun to work at and had a great overall environment. Managers were nice and cared and the people were fun to work with. The only downside was that pay was little low." — Indeed review
Pattern: Execution inconsistency. Some locations hit quality perfectly. Others miss on seasoning, cook times, cleanliness, or staffing levels."As a shift manager I was left with all the slack, they never cared if people came late, had rats, cleanliness wasn't checked, over worked and solo a lot." — Indeed review
28 home office staff for 45 locations = 1 support person per 1.6 locations. In our view, that's exceptional.
Most franchisors scramble to catch up after over-selling territories. Layne's appears to be building capacity before they need it.
2. Selective FranchisingNo dedicated franchise sales department. Every prospect goes through O'Reilly, Reed, and Wattar personally. Discovery days 3x weekly. They frequently reject offers.
Reed walked away from a well-funded operator with 100+ stores who was "in it for the return" rather than the culture. That culture-first approach to franchising is exactly what our QSR culture and retention research shows drives long-term operator success.
"Anybody can operate a Layne's. We've made that idiot proof. But if you don't continue the Layne's culture and the Layne's way, what we do, then it's really not what we're after."
3. Real Estate FlexibilityMultiple prototypes (freestanding, drive-thru only, inline, endcap) let franchisees adapt to market realities instead of forcing one model everywhere.
Drive-thru only locations reportedly hitting $2M+ in sales suggests the model can work in constrained real estate.
4. Leadership With Actual Scaling ExperienceReed: Worked real estate for Starbucks, Dunkin', Corner Bakery. Runs his own restaurant development company.
Wattar: Scaled MOOYAH from 32 to 100+ units. Built supply chains for Fuzzy's Taco Shop.
That kind of leadership continuity matters — especially when you see what happens when QSR brands cycle through CEOs without a clear vision.
5. Lower Investment Than Competitors$451K-$1M vs $768K-$1.9M for Raising Cane's creates more accessible entry point for qualified operators. For comparison with another emerging chicken concept targeting a different niche, see our Cluck Clucks franchise deep dive ($400K investment, halal market).
What They Need To Nail As They Scale: 1. Quality ConsistencyCustomer reviews show execution variance — gristle complaints, cold fries, dirty dining rooms, understaffing. When your entire brand promise is "simple done perfectly," quality control isn't optional.
The real test: Can they maintain standards as they scale from 45 to 300 units?
2. That 28-Person Support TeamRight now, it's 1 support person per 1.6 locations. At 300 units, that ratio becomes 1 per 10.7 locations (if they scale proportionally) or requires hiring up to ~214 home office staff (to maintain current ratio).
Will they maintain that ratio? Or will they stretch as territories grow?
3. Franchisee Vetting at ScaleThey're personally vetting every franchisee now through O'Reilly/Reed/Wattar. At 300 units with 3x weekly discovery days, that's 200+ discovery days per year if they maintain pace.
Can they keep that selective approach at scale?
4. Supply Chain ConsistencyWattar streamlined to one vendor, one distributor. As they expand to Oregon, Pennsylvania, Michigan, DC — markets with different supply logistics — can they maintain that consistency?
Reed's background is in commercial real estate, not restaurant operations — and that unusual combination is, in our view, one of Layne's structural competitive advantages. His decade-plus work doing in-house real estate for Starbucks, Dunkin', and Corner Bakery taught him the single most expensive mistake in franchise development: opening in the wrong location. His restaurant development company, Main & Main Capital Group, has been running alongside Layne's since 2004 — meaning Reed has a financial incentive to get site selection right that most franchise CEOs don't have. When the CEO is also a real estate developer who profits from franchise success, his incentives are aligned with operators in ways that hired executives rarely match.
Matthew O'Reilly — Co-Owner:O'Reilly co-acquired Layne's with Reed in 2017. While Reed is the public face of the brand, O'Reilly's operational role in the three-year infrastructure build is well-documented. The two-person founder ownership structure eliminates the board pressure and investor quarterly expectations that force most franchise brands to over-sell territories before the support infrastructure is ready. Layne's can afford to reject well-funded franchisees who aren't culture fits because Reed and O'Reilly don't owe quarterly returns to outside investors.
Samir Wattar — COOWattar is the critical hire in Layne's story. Scaling MOOYAH from 32 to 100+ units required exactly the supply chain and franchise operations expertise that Layne's needed as they moved from 3 corporate stores to a 45-unit franchise network. His move to streamline the entire Layne's system to one vendor, one distributor is the kind of supply chain discipline that produces consistent product across multi-state operations. The challenge as Layne's approaches 300 units: can Wattar maintain that single-source discipline as geographic expansion pushes the brand into markets where the current distribution network may not reach?
Leadership Assessment:In our view, Layne's has the most operationally competent leadership team in the emerging chicken finger space — a real estate expert who understands site selection at a structural level, a co-founder with aligned incentives, and a COO with proven franchise scaling experience. The risk is not leadership quality. The risk is scale. The personal vetting that Reed, O'Reilly, and Wattar currently apply to every franchisee is what keeps the culture intact — but there are only so many discovery days they can personally attend. The 300-unit target requires either building a franchising team that can replicate their judgment at scale, or accepting that some culture dilution is the price of aggressive growth.
- ✅ 2+ years QSR experience (understand kitchen ops, labor management, cost controls) - ✅ Market with existing chicken competition (suggests demand, gives you benchmark) - ✅ Comfortable with ~$2M AUV expectations (not expecting Cane's $6M performance) - ✅ Value operational simplicity (focused menu, streamlined kitchen) - ✅ Want franchise support infrastructure (28-person team ratio matters to you) - ✅ Believe in culture-fit vetting (appreciate selective franchising vs mass territory sales) - ✅ Flexible real estate approach (can adapt to inline, endcap, drive-thru only, freestanding)
Red Flags:- ❌ First-time restaurant operator (quality execution requires experience) - ❌ Expecting $6M AUV like Raising Cane's (Layne's is ~$2M range) - ❌ Need passive income model (execution consistency demands active management) - ❌ Want fast franchising process (selective vetting takes time) - ❌ Can't find suitable real estate in target market (even with flexibility, you need viable site)
If You're an Experienced Multi-Unit Operator:You're getting:
- Proven franchise model backed by 30+ years of brand history (founded 1994, franchising since 2018) - Lower investment than Cane's ($451K-$1M vs $768K-$1.9M) - Strong support infrastructure (28-person team for 45 locations) - Leadership team with actual scaling experience - Real estate flexibility (multiple prototypes) - Selective franchising culture (quality over quantity)
You're accepting:
- Lower AUV than competitors (~$2M vs $3M-$6M) - Rapid expansion risks (45 to 300 units by 2030) - Quality consistency challenges showing in reviews - Unproven whether support ratio holds at scale
If you're experienced, understand QSR economics, and value franchise support over massive AUV potential — this could work.
If you're a first-time franchisee:In our view, not recommended for first-time franchisees.
Quality execution inconsistency in reviews shows this concept requires skilled management. Simple menu doesn't mean easy execution.
First-time franchisees may want to consider systems with more established training infrastructure and lower execution complexity.
If you're converting from another brand:Your QSR experience transfers (kitchen ops, labor management, cost controls).
But consider:
- Supply chain differences (breaded vs battered chicken, sauce production) - Lower throughput model (focused menu vs broader menu you might be used to) - Different customer expectations (Texas A&M cult following vs your current brand loyalty)
Conversion may make sense if:
- Market has room for another chicken concept (check local competition) - Comfortable with ~$2M AUV (verify against your current performance) - Value franchise support over independent operations
Layne's represents accessible entry into premium chicken segment with proven support infrastructure. While CEO turnover is destabilizing legacy QSR brands, Layne's leadership continuity — Reed, O'Reilly, and Wattar all still active — provides the stability operators need. For a different approach to founder-led scaling, see how Eggs Up Grill's single-shift breakfast model achieves 17% EBITDA with a completely different daypart strategy.
The Opportunity:- Lower investment than Raising Cane's ($451K-$1M vs $768K-$1.9M) - Strong support ratio (1 staff per 1.6 locations) - Proven growth trajectory (67% sales growth YoY, #6 Future 50) - Real estate flexibility (multiple prototypes work) - 30-year brand equity in Texas A&M market - Selective franchising approach (culture over volume)
The Trade-Off:- Lower AUV than competitors (~$2M vs $3M-$6M) - Quality consistency challenges at some locations - Rapid expansion risks (45 to 300 units by 2030) - Hand-breaded model requires skilled execution - Support ratio sustainability unproven at scale
[LOCKIN] Layne's began franchising in 2021 — which means the oldest franchise locations have fewer than five years of operating history. When a brand has 300+ units in development against 30 open, you are buying into a system whose support infrastructure has not yet been tested at anything close to its target scale. Before signing, request Item 19 from the FDD and ask specifically: What is the AUV for franchised locations open 3+ years (not all locations, not brand claims)? What is the 28-person home office headcount committed to as the system grows to 80 and then 300 units? A brand that grew from 45 to 300 in development has proven its appeal — it hasn't yet proven it can support 300 operators through to profitable operations at the same quality ratio it runs today. [/LOCKIN]
If you're an experienced operator who values franchise infrastructure over maximum AUV potential — this warrants serious evaluation.
Operators seeking $3M+ AUV or a passive income model may find better fits in other concepts.
Interested in bringing Layne's to your market?
Visit their franchise page for territory availability and FDD (Franchise Disclosure Document). Specifically request Item 19 (Financial Performance Representations) to verify AUV expectations.
Visit Franchise PageEvery Brand Shoutout is built on independently sourced information:
- Financial Data: Franchise Disclosure Documents (FDDs), Restaurant Business Future 50 rankings, Entrepreneur Franchise 500 data, industry analyst reports - Customer Reviews: Verified reviews from Yelp, TripAdvisor, Google Reviews, aggregated across 2024-2025 (prioritizing newest locations) - Leadership Information: Company websites, QSR Magazine interviews, Restaurant Dive profiles, LinkedIn verification, industry publications - Growth Metrics: Restaurant Business reporting, official press releases, franchise disclosure filings - Operator Perspectives: Published franchisee interviews, franchise consultant data, QSR industry analyst reports
We never ask brands for permission before publishing. Our job is independent analysis, not marketing material. If something in this piece doesn't match your experience — good or bad — that's valuable information for the operator community.
Sponsors get placement, not editorial control. We write what the research shows.
This analysis draws on 22 public sources including franchise disclosure documents, customer reviews, news coverage, and employee reviews.
Several questions remain unanswered:
Layne's discloses $1,987,510 AUV per the 2024 FDD Item 19 — but we don't know performance variation by market, geography, or unit vintage.The system-wide AUV figure of $1,987,510 is documented in FDD Item 19 and drives the payback analysis in footnote 10 of this article. What isn't publicly available is how individual markets or newer franchise locations perform relative to the system average — or whether the rapid expansion since 2022 has compressed or widened the distribution.
We don't know Layne's franchisee satisfaction scores or renewal rates.Franchise satisfaction data isn't publicly available. Employee reviews on Indeed provide some signal, but franchisee experience may differ significantly.
We don't know the true cost of Layne's fresh-to-order model versus competitors' prep-and-hold models.Fresh breading increases labor and reduces throughput. Whether the margin trade-off favors Layne's model at scale is undisclosed.
We don't know whether negative quality reviews correlate with newer franchise locations versus original corporate locations.Review patterns suggest possible quality variation during rapid expansion, but location-level performance data isn't available to confirm.
We don't know Layne's expansion timeline or territory commitments for signed franchise agreements.Development pipeline data beyond announced openings isn't publicly available.
This deep dive was produced independently. The brand profiled did not participate in, review, or approve this research prior to publication. All financial claims, unit economics, and operational assessments are sourced from publicly available materials and cited accordingly.
QSR Research Hub is an independent publication. We receive no compensation from any brand featured in our Brand Shoutouts.
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1. The National Provisioner. "Layne's Chicken Fingers doubles footprint." December 2025. https://www.provisioneronline.com/articles/120080-laynes-chicken-fingers-doubles-footprint
2. Restaurant Business. "Layne's Chicken Fingers Ranked No. 6 on Restaurant Business Future 50 Ranking." October 2025. https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/financing/laynes-chicken-fingers-ranked-no-6-restaurant-business-future-50-ranking
3. Layne's Chicken Fingers. "Leadership." https://layneschickenfranchising.com/home/leadership/
4. Insite Brazos Valley Magazine. "Garrett Reed Tells All in Celebration of 30th Anniversary." June 2024. https://insitebrazosvalley.com/food-drink/garrett-reed-tells-all-in-celebration-of-30th-anniversary/
5. Restaurant Owner. "Garrett Reed with Layne's Chicken Fingers." May 2024. https://www.restaurantowner.com/public/Garrett-Reed-with-Laynes-Chicken-Fingers.cfm
6. QSR Magazine. "Grounded in Culture, Layne's Chicken Fingers Plots Rapid Growth." April 2025. https://www.qsrmagazine.com/exclusives/grounded-culture-laynes-chicken-fingers-plots-rapid-growth/
7. Layne's Chicken Fingers. Official website. https://www.layneschickenfingers.com/
8. Restaurant Dive. "Layne's Chicken Fingers signs agreements for 68 stores." October 2025. https://www.restaurantdive.com/news/laynes-chicken-fingers-q3-franchising-surge/803437/
9. QSR Web. "Layne's Chicken Fingers finds success with various models." July 2024. https://www.qsrweb.com/articles/laynes-chicken-fingers-finds-success-with-various-models/
10. QSR Research Hub analysis. Estimated annual earnings ($238,502–$298,127) and franchise payback period (3.3–5.3 years) calculated using Layne's AUV per 2024 FDD Item 19 ($1,987,510) and QSR industry-standard net margin benchmarks (12–15%). Investment range sourced from FDD Item 7 (Source 25 after renumber). Note: 12–15% net margin assumption is above the QSR industry average of 6–9%. Payback estimates are optimistic; actual payback likely longer depending on operator performance and market conditions.
11. Yelp. "Layne's Chicken Fingers brand reviews." Aggregate of 1,026 reviews across 7 locations. https://www.yelp.com/brands/laynes
12. TripAdvisor. "Layne's Chicken Fingers, Roanoke - Restaurant Reviews." 2024-2025. https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g56555-d23773660-Reviews-Layne_s_Chicken_Fingers-Roanoke_Texas.html
13. TripAdvisor. "Layne's Chicken Fingers, Frisco - Restaurant Reviews." 2024-2025. https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g55870-d20322782-Reviews-Layne_s_Chicken_Fingers-Frisco_Texas.html
14. TikTok. "Layne's Chicken Fingers customer reviews and location openings." 2024-2025. https://www.tiktok.com/discover/layne-chicken-fingers-review
15. Birdeye. "Layne's Chicken Fingers - 504 Reviews - Chicken Shop in Houston, TX." https://reviews.birdeye.com/laynes-chicken-fingers-173505219336607
16. TripAdvisor. "Layne's Chicken Fingers, College Station - Restaurant Reviews." 2024-2025. https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g55649-d3792449-Reviews-Layne_s_Chicken_Fingers-College_Station_Texas.html
17. Indeed.com. "Working at Layne's Chicken Fingers: Employee Reviews." https://www.indeed.com/cmp/Layne's-Chicken-Fingers/reviews
18. Franchise Times. "Dave's Hot Chicken — 2025 Top 500 Franchise Ranking." Franchise Times Top 500, 2025. https://www.franchisetimes.com/franchise-directory/daves-hot-chicken
19. Restaurant Business. "How Dave's Hot Chicken is harnessing a rabid fan base." June 4, 2024. https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/operations/how-daves-hot-chicken-harnessing-rabid-fan-base
20. Restaurant Business. "Raising Cane's: The Chicken Fingers Chain That Became a Billion-Dollar Brand." RestaurantBusinessOnline.com, 2024. https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/financing/raising-canes-chicken-fingers-chain-became-billion-dollar-brand
21. QSR Magazine. "The QSR 50 Ranking 2024." August 2024. https://www.qsrmagazine.com/content/qsr50-2024-top-50-chart
22. Layne's Chicken Fingers. "Franchise — How Much It Costs." Total investment $451,500-$1,050,000, franchise fee $47,500-$50,000, royalty 5% of gross revenues, 2024 locations (20), 2025 projected (45), 225 units in development, 18 franchisees, 100% multi-unit developers, 55.3% prime cost. https://layneschickenfranchising.com/