Four years ago, Layne’s Chicken Fingers was simply a cult-favorite, mom-and-pop restaurant near the campus of Texas A&M University in College Station Texas. The chain, open since 1994, expanded to three units in College Station, Texas,  Then, Garrett Reed and his business partner, Matt O’Reilly, entered the picture in 2017 and quickly infused visions of what the chicken chain could become over the next several years. After purchasing the brand from one of the original owners, new leadership evaluated existing infrastructure, policies, and procedures to transform Layne’s into something repeatable.

That initial vision and groundwork fueled Layne’s expansion to eight stores and a double-digit sales increase in 2021. It’s also provided in-depth framework for the brand’s national franchising strategy, which seeks 100 open locations by 2025.

The primary focus of store growth is Texas, where potential franchisees, including graduates of Texas A&M, are flocking to the brand and looking to purchase markets inside and around the Lone Star State.