Watch Out, Raising Cane's: This Chicken Chain Is Soaring To The Top

Everyone has a favorite fried chicken chain, and it's hard to ignore the inspirational journey behind how Raising Cane's was projected to fail yet prevailed. The podium, however, might be shaking: Layne's Chicken Fingers just won 6th place on the Restaurant Business Future 50 list. Honestly, it's well deserved; the chain's growth is nothing short of intimidating. 

In the first half of 2025 alone, Layne's achieved an impressive 50% increase in units. That said, the business hasn't rocketed out of nowhere; it's just been dormant for two decades. Mike Layne launched the first venue in 1994 in College Station, Texas, but passed sole ownership to Mike Garrett shortly after. From there, it entered a sleepy spell, remaining one of those regional chains every fried chicken fan should know but often overlooks.

After years of this stagnant growth, everything changed with the decision to franchise in 2021. By 2022, the chain had eight stores, as of 2025 it has exceeded 30, and by 2026, it's predicted to reach 80. Layne's Chicken Fingers is franchising faster than wildfire, and steadily branching out into different states, including Arkansas, Ohio, and Wisconsin. Talk about a shake-up. Cane's should probably watch out.

Why get lost in statistics when you can pore over a delicious menu instead? Layne's Chicken Fingers takes a simple approach to its dishes. On first glance, it's self-explanatory: Chicken-finger meals are the chain's bread-and-butter. Think boxes of crinkle-cut chips, Texas toast, and one of six sauces to dip your fried chicken tenders. Pots of honey mustard, gravy, BBQ, jalapeno ranch, buttermilk ranch, and smoky Layne's sauce are all on the cards. Plus, the food is halal, which is an instant boon over many competitors. 

If meal combos aren't your vibe, there's a choice of club, chicken, or grilled sandwiches — plus a (kind of burrito-looking) grilled chicken wrap. In terms of beverages, Layne's shines in the shakes section, claiming to use hand-spinning and premium ice cream. Flavor availability varies by location but could include salted caramel, vanilla, Oreo, strawberry, and chocolate. Its stores also offer lemonade and sweetened or unsweetened tea, all of which have glowing customer reviews. The bottom line is that Layne's uses high-quality ingredients and infuses creativity into their simple, homey recipes. 

It looks like Cane's versus Layne's will remain a hot debate; perhaps it's time to update our ranked list of the best fried chicken chains in the U.S. Who knows, slow and steady might win the race.