Following multiple restaurant openings in the last quarter of 2022, the Captain D’s fast casual seafood restaurant chain on February 8 announced a new slate of locations and development agreements are set for the first half of 2023. The Nashville, Tennessee, USA-headquartered foodservice operator has seven restaurants scheduled to debut early this year and has signed a development deal with a new franchisee in Cleveland, Ohio.
Captain D’s serves a wide variety of seafood that include batter dipped fish entrees, southern style fish tenders, butterfly shrimp, tilapia, salmon, hushpuppies, other side dishes, desserts and more.
According to a press release issued by the company, its expansion “is propelled by market-smart real estate prototypes, including highly efficient double drive-thrus, smaller footprints and cost-effective conversion opportunities. These flexible options are attracting both new and existing multi-unit and multi-concept franchisees who are growing with Captain D’s throughout the South, Midwest and Mid-Atlantic states.”
“We have spent the last several years developing restaurant footprints that are well-suited to the increasingly competitive real estate market, and we now have an effective mix of small, medium and no dining room options to provide our franchisees with flexibility and substantial cost savings,” said Brad Reed, chief development officer. “Our brand’s forward-thinking real estate strategy, paired with our seafood niche in the fast casual space, has positioned Captain D’s for accelerated development in 2023.” Openings during the last few months of 2022 included new restaurants in Gulfport, Mississippi, Fort Worth and Humble, Texas, and Columbus, Ohio, which marked a second Express opening for the brand. Express is Captain D’s 960-square foot prototype with a drive-thru and walk-up window but no dining room. It debuted earlier last year in the Atlanta market with a streamlined selection of core menu items and a kitchen design that assists with quicker cook times and a faster drive-thru.
