Layne’s Chicken Fingers has set a target to open 300 restaurants by 2030 as the US-based fast-casual chain continues to expand its franchise system.
In a statement, the company said that it ended 2025 with “record financial performance”. It has also doubled its restaurant count in the year and enters 2026 with 40 restaurants open and ten new franchise owners added to the system.
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Layne’s Chicken Fingers CEO Garrett Reed said: “We opened 21 restaurants last year, which is 110% growth over the prior year.
“We increased average unit volume across the system, and we brought on ten new franchisees for a total of 40 restaurants awarded. We also developed the organisation further to provide better support to our franchisees.”
The company also cited a 44-unit agreement, a 15-unit expansion by Wisconsin franchise owners, and additional deals with franchisees from brands including Wendy’s and Arby’s.
Layne’s Chicken Fingers’ chief operating officer Samir Wattar said: “If you look at our manpower growth compared to our restaurant growth, that’s clear. We now have 40 restaurants open, and we have 28 employees in the home office. We’re building a support organisation for a brand that we’re really passionate about.”
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By GlobalDataIn 2026, Layne’s aims to open an additional 40 restaurants, pursue continued revenue growth and expand its footprint.
In a separate development, the company announced leadership changes and additions. The company appointed Natalie Hurley as vice-president of brand marketing and Cuyler Esposito as vice-president of culture and operations. It also promoted Alex Camp to vice-president of operations services.
