Texas-based Layne’s Chicken Fingers eyes Ohio expansion

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — A longtime Texas chicken chain is expanding with locations in central Ohio.

Restaurateur Doug McGuire announced in late July that he signed a franchise agreement with Layne’s Chicken Fingers to open 22 restaurants in Ohio. The deal allows McGuire, who has experience as a franchisee for Arby’s, to build the new locations across the state’s northern region, stretching from Columbus to Lake Erie and Lima to Wooster.

The announcement comes after Layne’s first Ohio eatery opened in June at 1350 W. Pleasant Valley Road in Parma, which is operated by a separate franchisee based in Pennsylvania. While McGuire is expecting his first location to open in Lima by spring 2026, Layne’s has also teased opening a few restaurants in and around Dayton through another franchisee.

Founded in College Station, Texas, in 1994, Layne’s is known for original and spicy chicken fingers with crinkle-cut fries, Texas toast and its signature sauce. The chain also offers chicken wraps and sandwiches, like the club sandwich with three tenders layered with brisket bacon, alongside a kids’ meal and milkshakes.

In addition to the Parma location, Layne’s is home to at least 34 other eateries across Texas, Arkansas, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin. The chain expects to have 45 locations open by the end of 2025, with more than 220 restaurants in development, according to the brand’s website.

The Texas brand is following in the footsteps of several other chicken chains that have recently expanded in the Columbus-area, like Huey Magoo’s, another southern chain that opened a third central Ohio restaurant last fall. Dave’s Hot Chicken, a national brand boasted as a “hot chicken sensation,” also opened a third Columbus-area eatery last year.

Bojangles moved to open its third central Ohio location in May. A local Buca di Beppo restaurant closed at the beginning of 2025 to be demolished for Chic-fil-A, continuing the brand’s trend of bulldozing Columbus-area businesses to make way for new locations.

Big Chicken, the brand founded by Hall of Fame basketball star Shaquille O’Neal, has yet to deliver on plans announced in 2023 to open several dozen Ohio locations. Similarly, Slim Chickens shared plans in early 2024 to open 25 restaurants in Ohio but has since only launched a few eateries.