Layne’s Chicken Fingers, the premium chicken finger franchise founded in College Station, is coming to Brownsville, according to state business filings. And the Brownsville restaurant will be just the start of the company’s massive expansion plans in the Rio Grande Valley.
The Brownsville restaurant will be located at 1655 Ruben M. Torres Blvd., Brownsville, TX 78521, according to Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation records, which are subject to change. Renovation of an existing building spanning nearly 2,300 square feet will cost $400,000 and is expected to begin in April, TDLR records show.
The Brownsville Layne’s is expected to be the first of a dozen franchise locations to be built across the Valley. That’s because the company has signed a 12-unit agreement with Ricki Oberoi, an experienced Wendy’s franchise operator, according to a November 2025 Layne’s news release. Last summer, Oberoi told 1851 Franchise, a trade publication that tracks the franchise industry, that he expects the first Valley Layne’s location to open by this summer and plans to develop the additional locations over the next 4-5 years.
But Layne’s isn’t just looking at the Valley. The “soon to be famous” company, which was founded in Aggieland in 1994, is also making inroads in the Coastal Bend, San Antonio, and West Texas as it eyes opening a total of 300 restaurants by 2030. Late last year, the company secured deals for the first 44 franchises, calling the achievement “monumental.”