News

Captain D's accelerates growth in Louisiana, Tennessee

October 4, 2017

Captain D's is opening two restaurants in the Southeast today. One is in Denham Springs, Louisiana, and marks the brand's third opening in the Greater Baton Rouge market this year, according to a company press release. The other is in Dayton, Tennessee.

The Denham Springs restaurant is the brand's ten`th in Louisiana, but an additional location in Hammond is slated to open next month. Located at 2913 S. Range Ave., the restaurant showcases the signature Captain D's beach design, includes a drive-thru and has created more than 50 jobs in the local community, according to the release.

"The opening of two new restaurants in one day is a true testament to the strength of our growth strategy and the brand's strong standing in the industry," Michael Arrowsmith, chief development officer for Captain D's, said in the release. "Our new restaurants in the Greater Baton Rouge area have exceeded expectations and surpassed performance benchmarks, reflecting how strongly the Captain D's brand resonates within the community. We have no doubt the new Denham Springs location will experience the same success and further strengthen our presence in the region." 

Owned and operated by existing franchisees J.R. and Carol Fulbright of Two Beacons LLC, the Dayton location used to be a KFC restaurant and represents the sixth Captain D's location in the state. Following the recent openings in Cordova and Johnson City, the Dayton conversion marks Captain D's 72nd location in Tennessee. An additional location will open in Smyrna, Tennessee, before the end of 2017.

"We're thrilled to be opening another Captain D's in Tennessee, which has expanded our portfolio to six locations throughout the state. With unparalleled service and a top-of-the-line menu, the brand is consistently establishing its position as the leader in the fast casual seafood segment," J.R. Fulbright said in the release. "We're proud to be part the brand's continued success and look forward to bringing high-quality affordable seafood to the Dayton community."

Captain D's, last year, reported its sixth consecutive year of same-store sales increases and fourth successive year of record high system-wide average unit volume. Coupled with its ongoing menu innovation, Captain D's credits its new restaurant beach design with contributing to the brand's ongoing strong performance.

To date, nearly 70 percent of all restaurants have been reimaged to the brand's new vibrant, coastal design, with another 50 locations to be remodeled by the end of this year. With these efforts, Captain D's has remained true to what it does best — serving high-quality seafood with warm hospitality at an affordable price in a welcoming atmosphere, according to the release.

The chain, which has 525 restaurants in 21 states, is seeking single- and multi-unit operators to help it grow.

Phill Greifeld, the brand's CEO and president, will speak about growth at this year's Fast Casual Executive Summit, Oct. 22-24, in Nashville. Register here.