Central Pa. seen as strong market for Texas restaurant chain

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Samir Wattar sees Central Pennsylvania as a potential landing spot for a new restaurant chain.

The Texas-based Layne’s Chicken Fingers COO said he and CEO Garrett Reed are encouraged by the company’s success in Pittsburgh and are looking to replicate it in Harrisburg, Lancaster, and potentially in Allentown in Southeastern Pennsylvania as well.

“We have three restaurants in Pittsburgh and the response has been very good,” Wattar said. “The way we like to grow is to create synergy. We are in Pennsylvania, so what other markets can we sell in, in Pennsylvania?

“We looked at Allentown, Philadelphia, Harrisburg. We feel that this market is a good fit for us and would create synergy with the rest of the stores that we have in Pennsylvania. “

The company got its start in Pennsylvania when it was approached by a potential franchisee in Pittsburgh who expressed interest in bringing the restaurant chain to the Steel City.

“We met, we liked each other, we visited the market and toured the market with him,” said Wattar. “We felt he had enough infrastructure to support, and we were surprised by the success we had. He opened three restaurants in Pittsburgh and one in Morgantown, West Virginia, and he’s opening a restaurant in Ohio in about five weeks. “

Wattar said the company seeks possible franchise owners whose professional resume shows experience and expertise.

“We look for franchisees who are experienced in the business, especially with us and the emerging brand or growing brand and make sure they can support themselves and have the expertise,” he said. “We provide a lot of support but being so far from us we like them to have experience running a restaurant.

“We’re talking to a few (in Pennsylvania) right now. We have three or four prospective (franchisees). When we get approached by a franchisee, we’re not looking for a sales pitch. We’re looking for a partnership. We’re growing a brand and we’re looking for partners who want to grow with us and appreciate the brand as much as we do.

“We have a great product, and we know that. But you want to deliver it in the right way to get success.”

Central Pennsylvania is seen by the company as an area with growth potential.

“We’re targeting the whole state,” Wattar said. “To grow a brand, you want to create some synergy. I don’t want to leave a franchisee by themselves on an island, so we take it and grow it from there. We’ve proven we do well in Pennsylvania so let’s take it and grow it.”

The company’s growth can be seen in its home state of Texas. Founded in 1994 in College Station, the original location became known for its small-town feel, friendly service, and food. Since then, the company has grown from its College Station roots to being in every Texas market but two.

“We look at financials but the biggest thing we look at is, is it a fit?” said Wattar. “Is it a fit for us and is it a fit for them? We look for people who understand what we’re doing and see if they share the passion for growing a business like we do. Do they have the expertise? Do they understand what the restaurant business is?

“To me, the restaurant business is very rewarding, but you get what you put into it. If you put nothing into it, you’re not going to get anything. But if you truly dedicate yourself to it, it’s very rewarding.”

Layne’s Chicken Fingers has 250 franchises in seven states and is poised to continue to expand.

“We like to be on par with everybody else,” said Wattar. “We are a USR Brand, so we like to be among the concentration of USR Brands. We share the same characteristics, but we serve different food. We believe our food will compete with everybody.

“We look for highly trafficked areas. We like to be next to McDonalds, next to Wendy’s, the Taco Bell’s. These are the areas we look for. We do well in some rural communities. In Corsicana, we strategically put the restaurant across the street from McDonalds, and we’re the talk of the town.”

Wattar said timelines for opening a franchise depend on the availability of real estate.

“We have franchisees who found real estate and within nine months they built a restaurant from the ground up and they’re open,” he said. “We have franchisees who are still looking for real estate.

“We’ve built a team to support them in every aspect. From signing the lease to opening, if it’s a ground up we say it’s 120 days. If it’s a conversion, it’s probably 60-90 days.”

Wattar said the company’s goal is to have a franchise in Central Pennsylvania by the end of this year.

“We have already entered the (Pennsylvania) market so we know what we can do, and we want to expand on it,” said Wattar. “I would love to have the right partner to grow with us. We have a goal to have somebody with us by the end of this year.

“We’d love to have somebody partner with us in Central PA. We believe it’s a great market for us and they would be successful.”