Is Layne’s Chicken Fingers or Carvel cheaper to open?

Layne’s Chicken Fingers costs $451,500–$1,050,000 and Carvel costs $428,405–$1,051,200 to open (FDD Item 7). Carvel has the lower entry cost.

Which earns more, Layne’s Chicken Fingers or Carvel?

Layne’s Chicken Fingers reports $1,983,256 average annual unit revenue vs $496,287 for Carvel (FDD Item 19). Layne’s Chicken Fingers is higher. For Layne’s Chicken Fingers: Includes company-owned outlets. For Carvel: Reported as net sales, not gross sales.

Which is the better franchise, Layne’s Chicken Fingers or Carvel?

FranchiseVerdict grades Layne’s Chicken Fingers B and Carvel B, from FDD Items 5–7, 19–21 and SBA loan performance. See the full side-by-side above.

Layne’s Chicken Fingers vs Carvel

Franchise Comparison 2026

Both Layne’s Chicken Fingers and Carvel are quick-service restaurants franchises. Layne’s Chicken Fingers requires an investment of $452K – $1.1M while Carvel requires $428K – $1.1M. In terms of revenue, Layne’s Chicken Fingers reports higher average unit revenue at $2.0M. Note: Includes company-owned outlets. FranchiseVerdict rates Layne’s Chicken Fingers B (Above average) and Carvel B (Above average).

Metric	Layne’s Chicken Fingers	Carvel
Verdict Grade	BAbove average	BAbove average
Investment Range	$452K – $1.1M	$428K – $1.1M
Franchise Fee	$45K	$6K
Royalty Rate	5.0%	6.0%
Average Revenue (Item 19)	$2.0MIncl. company outlets	$496K
SBA Charge-Off Rate	Limited data	Limited data
Total Units	19	360
Unit Growth (YoY)	+5 units	+23 units
Year Began Franchising	2018	1947
FDD Year	2025	2026