The Expansion Move
Layne's Chicken Fingers, the Texas-born chicken finger franchise with more than 50 locations in operation, opened its second Richmond-area unit on October 24 at 8801 Staples Mill Road in Henrico, Va. The opening is the latest step in a deliberate multi-unit push by franchisee Khurram Burney, one of the first operators to bring the brand into Virginia.
Burney's second location adds to a growing state footprint and signals a broader regional buildout. "I'm excited to bring Layne's back to the Richmond area with our new Henrico location," Burney said. "I'm looking forward to welcoming even more local guests and giving them a chance to try what makes Layne's special."
Unit Economics and Format
The Henrico restaurant carries Layne's full menu — hand-breaded chicken finger baskets, Texas toast–stacked sandwiches, a chicken club topped with brisket bacon and American cheese, and a lineup of proprietary dipping sauces including the brand's signature house sauce, jalapeño ranch, honey mustard, BBQ, and gravy. To mark the opening, the first 50 dine-in guests received a free-Layne's-for-a-year promotion, a traffic-driving tactic the brand has used at prior openings to seed early loyalty.
The chicken finger quick-service segment has become one of the more competitive corridors in fast casual, with established players and regional upstarts alike vying for the value-seeking consumer. Layne's, founded in 1994 near Texas A&M University in College Station, has positioned itself against that backdrop by leaning into a single-category focus and franchise-led growth rather than corporate-owned unit buildout — a capital-light model that has accelerated its location count.
Franchise Strategy and Outlook
Garrett Reed, Chief Executive Officer of Layne's Chicken Fingers, framed the Henrico unit as a natural next step in the brand's Virginia strategy. "Khurram has been instrumental in bringing Layne's to Virginia, and we're excited to see him continue building the brand in the Richmond area," Reed said. Burney has publicly committed to additional development across the state, though specific unit counts and timelines were not disclosed.
The Virginia push fits within a broader national growth agenda. Layne's has described its expansion as disciplined and franchise-partnership-driven, a posture that distinguishes it from chains that have stumbled chasing aggressive corporate-unit targets. For regional franchise operators in the fast-casual chicken segment, the Layne's model — concentrated menus, streamlined kitchen operations, and a proven consumer loyalty mechanic — represents a lower-complexity entry point than broader quick-service concepts.
For trade observers tracking franchise development in the mid-Atlantic, the Richmond market is increasingly active. Virginia's population growth in suburban corridors like Henrico County has drawn multiple quick-service and fast-casual brands into the region over the past two years, making it a bellwether for how emerging chains test scalability outside their home markets.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
