Layne’s Chicken Fingers is looking to grow as it mentors exceptional employees to become future franchisees.
Chicken franchise Layne’s Chicken Fingers is ready to grow in a competitive space—and Chief Operating Officer Samir Wattar has a plan to build on existing talent.
“Through my career, I’ve had people guide me and this is kind of paying it forward,” said Wattar.
Started in 1994, the brand is, unsurprisingly, all about chicken tenders and their accompaniments. Since franchising began in 2017, Layne’s Chicken Fingers has grown to 13 locations dotting Texas and the East Coast.
When Wattar joined the team in 2021, he wanted to improve the process for signing new franchisees. Traditional growth methods are working, with agreements signed for 135 units across 11 franchisees, but Wattar is looking at another avenue: recruiting talented employees.
Among that talent is Jason Cabrera, who manages new restaurant openings. He’s worked at Layne’s since he was a teenager, when he was buttering toast for all the orders.
Longtime Layne’s employee Jason Cabrera, left, with CEO Garrett Reed.
“I didn’t really know what I was getting into,” said Cabrera. “I was just looking for a part-time job at the time.”
He quickly moved up the ranks, earning a promotion to general manager at 19. Layne’s is mentoring Cabrera, now 22, for franchise ownership. With Wattar’s help, Cabrera is learning about operating a franchise and how to get ready to own one; he’s also gaining knowledge about investments and how to prepare to buy a house.
Cabrera turned his part-time job at Layne’s into a career because of the culture. “Some people dread going to work every day,” he said. “That’s not the case for me. I’m excited to go to work every day.”
Meeting other stores’ teams, helping turn unit sales around and working with corporate through these processes are what convinced him to stay. Cabrera’s decision to pursue franchise ownership rather than move up the corporate ladder comes from his desire to be a part of continued growth.
Cabrera is among a few young, ambitious employees under the Layne’s franchisee mentorship program. Wattar’s reasoning for training stellar, younger employees is two-fold.
“This is my way of protecting this business and building the next generation that’s going to run this business,” said Wattar. “Sadly, we’ve built a bad reputation in the restaurant industry, and I want to show that it’s not true. Building the next generation is very exciting to me.”
To build them up, the Layne’s team is educating employees on what they need to open their own locations. Leadership skills and financial knowledge are the top requirements for franchisees, Wattar said.
The initial investment for a Layne’s Chicken Fingers ranges from $545,000 to $1,190,000. Gross revenue from 2022 ranged from $776,234 to $1,745,490 for franchised locations.
“This is the future of the restaurant industry,” said Wattar of the younger generations. “It’s on us, as leaders, to foster the next leadership group. I hope Jason will either be a franchisee or sit in my chair one day.”