Layne's Chicken Fingers is gearing up to land on San Antonio's Northwest Side, with the Frisco-based chain planning to remodel an existing restaurant space for its first local outpost. The move comes as the brand hits the gas on its Texas expansion following a wave of big franchise deals signed last year.
According to the San Antonio Business Journal, Layne's will take over an existing storefront on the Northwest Side instead of building a new restaurant from the ground up, a strategy that can get chicken in local hands faster. The Business Journal reports that the exact site and opening date are still being nailed down.
Franchise Deals Are Fueling The Push
The brand has been on a rapid growth tear through multi-unit franchise agreements, and company materials show the system ended 2025 with about 40 restaurants while inking several large development packages. In a PR Newswire release, Layne's highlighted multi-unit deals, including a landmark 44-unit agreement, that the company says are helping power its expansion. The company’s franchising site also lists 40 locations at the end of 2025 and shows hundreds of units in development in its pipeline.
Seguin Build Gives A Timeline
State filings show the chain's first Greater San Antonio-area project is a ground-up build in Seguin at 1510 TX-46 North, with construction set to begin in December 2025 and wrap in May 2026, according to MySA. That Seguin project is separate from the Northwest Side remodel and suggests Layne’s plans to stagger openings across the region as permits and leases fall into place.
What It Means For The Northwest Side
San Antonio's Northwest Side has been a magnet for fast-casual brands, and operators say reusing an existing restaurant shell can trim build-out costs and shave months off the opening timeline. Coverage of Layne’s other Texas moves, including a Brownsville filing, shows the chain leaning on franchise partners to build regional clusters, per storming the Valley.
"The close of the third quarter was yet another milestone," CEO Garrett Reed said in an October press release on the company’s expansion momentum, per PR Newswire. For San Antonio, the opening date on the Northwest Side will come down to lease negotiations and permit approvals, so city records and company filings will be the places to watch for the official green light.
