Layne's Chicken Fingers is a fast-growing restaurant brand known for its delicious Soon to be Famous chicken fingers, signature sauces, and fun, friendly atmosphere. As we expand across new markets, we’re looking for a strategic and driven Real Estate Manager to support our franchise partners in identifying and securing top-tier locations that align with our brand vision.
Position Summary
We are seeking a highly driven Real Estate Manager who will play a key role in supporting Layne’s franchise growth strategy by guiding franchisees through the site selection process, evaluating market opportunities, and ensuring alignment with brand standards. This role requires strong real estate acumen, excellent communication skills, and a collaborative mindset to work closely with franchisees, brokers, and internal teams.
Key Responsibilities
- Partner with franchisees to identify and evaluate potential restaurant sites across target markets.
- Conduct market research, demographic analysis, and trade area assessments to support site selection.
- Review and provide feedback on site packages submitted by franchisees and brokers.
- Coordinate and support the LOI and lease/purchase negotiation process, ensuring alignment with company standards.
- Collaborate with internal teams (Construction, Development, Franchise Sales, Operations) to facilitate site approvals and development timelines.
- Support franchisees to maintain a pipeline of potential sites and provide regular updates to leadership.
- Develop and maintain relationships with commercial brokers, landlords, and developers to identify new opportunities.
- Ensure all selected sites meet Layne’s brand, operational, and financial criteria.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Real Estate, Business, or related field.
- 2+ years of experience in commercial real estate, preferably in franchise development or multi-unit retail/restaurant expansion.
- Strong understanding of site selection, lease/purchase negotiation, and market analysis.
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills; ability to work effectively with franchisees and cross-functional teams.
- Highly organized with strong project management skills.
- Willingness to travel to evaluate sites and meet with stakeholders
Ideal Candidate Attributes
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Franchise-focused: Experienced in supporting franchisees through site selection and development.
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Real estate savvy: Deep knowledge of commercial real estate and QSR/retail markets
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Strong communicator: Builds trust and alignment across franchisees, brokers, and internal teams.
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Organized & efficient: Manages multiple projects and timelines with precision.
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Brand-driven: Passionate about maintaining Layne’s standards and customer experience in every location.
We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive
consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex,
national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other
characteristic protected by law.
Layne’s was established in College Station in 1994. After years of perfecting our craft, we’re ready to graduate to bigger markets and we’d love for you to come with us.
We are looking for GREAT people! Huge emphasis on great! Our team is full of positive, friendly, hard working individuals and we strive to keep it that way. It is a huge part of what makes us such a great place to work.
Our promise is like our concept, it’s simple. We only serve four main products: Soon to be Famous™ Chicken Fingers, Crinkle-Cut Fries, Secret Sauce and Texas Toast. This allows us to provide the best quality food with the most efficient service. Check out our available positions, if you’d like to join the team.
