Born in Aggieland, Layne’s Chicken Fingers will be the newest addition to Key Avenue when the fast-food restaurant opens in early December.
The restaurant chain that started in College Station in 1994 is known for its chicken tenders and “secret sauce.”
Layne’s began franchising locations in 2021. The corporate franchise pipeline is planning to have 45 locations opened by the end of 2025. Currently, 225 locations are in development.
The Lampasas franchise is owned by a group of seven family members that go by the Khan Family name.
Rohail Khan told the Dispatch Record that Layne’s Chicken Fingers is excited to have a presence here.
“Corporate is extremely excited about Lampasas,” Khan said. “They think Lampasas is going to be one of our best sites, no matter the population. We truly believe it. We have seen these small markets turn into huge monsters.”
The Khan Family already has opened one Layne’s location in Marble Falls.
Khan said the Lampasas eatery, set for a grand opening on Dec. 13, will be the family’s second location in operation. Layne’s is looking to dive into smaller markets that other corporations may not see as worthwhile.
“Not many big players -- for example, [Raising] Cane’s -- they are not going to come into a small market, so why are we depriving a small city from some good food; that is our thought into it,” Khan said. “We hit Marble Falls; now let’s hit Lampasas.”
Khan lives in the greater Austin area. With most of his family members having attended Texas A&M University, the group became familiar with Layne’s offerings during their time spent in College Station. Khan said he and his family were motivated by their parents who worked in the gas station industry and retail space to become a group of entrepreneurs and follow in their footsteps.
Unaware that Layne’s had franchise locations, the family discovered one while spending time in the Houston area. Khan, who said he comes from a large family, enjoyed the family-type atmosphere Layne’s is looking to harness.
A sense of community is something the Khan Family is looking to bring to its Lampasas spot.
“Our goal is to be acclimated in the community,” he said. “Even in Marble Falls we are trying to work with the basketball team and football team. We are trying to get sponsorships and be able to provide and give back. I’ve heard Lampasas has a huge football, sports community, and we are really excited to do some of these sponsorships for these schools.”
While Lampasas residents already have several options in town for fried chicken, Khan said Layne’s provides something a little bit different.
“We have a workhorse and rely on our workhorse, which is our chicken fingers,” Khan said. “At the end of the day, we want every business to succeed. Healthy competition, we love that. We’d never come to town to shut anybody down. That is never our goal.”
Although Layne’s is known for its chicken tenders, since opening franchise locations the fastfood restaurant has started to expand its offerings and now includes spicy tenders.
“Some people will think super spicy,” Khan said. “It actually has a good kick to it, but it is not super spicy. Me personally, that is my favorite.
“We bring different variety with our chicken tenders, like our club sandwich,” he said. “We have wraps, and if someone wants to go healthier, they can get the grilled chicken wrap.”
On Friday, workers were installing new signs on the exterior of the building at 404 N. Key Ave. Khan said residents can expect quality food and top customer service when Layne’s doors open in the coming weeks.
“When you walk into the store, you are going to feel welcomed. you are going to see the friendly environment,” Khan said. “If you don’t see it, we will fix it the next moment.”
