Franchising

Captain D's largest franchisee adds to portfolio

Provided

July 6, 2020

Captain D's largest franchisee, Trident Holdings LLC, has opened its 39th location in nine states., located at 7798 Youree Dr., in Shreveport. Louisiana. The unit marks Captain D's first location in Shreveport and eighth overall in the state.

Coming in on the heels of the brand's grand opening in Lancaster, South Carolina in late May, Captain D's opening in Shreveport accelerates the brand's Southeastern development, with additional restaurants in Palatka, Florida and Oak Grove, Kentucky, slated to open later this year, according to a company press release.

"Just five years ago, Ed, Tim and I began our journey as Captain D's franchisees, and we're fortunate to have grown alongside this brand as its largest multi-unit operators in such a short amount of time," Trident Co-owner Chris Benner said in the release. "A main reason why we chose Captain D's and have remained loyal to the brand is because of its best-in-class franchisee support and training programs, which not only positioned us for immediate success but helped us sustain our growth as we scaled and expanded across the Southeast, even during this challenging time in the industry."

In 2018, Trident acquired eight existing Captain D's locations, as well as developed 10 locations in states like Mississippi and Georgia. Benner and the Stokes kicked off their string of development with the opening of their Lewisburg, Tennessee, store in December 2019.

The Shreveport Captain D's is opening with drive-thru, carry-out, online ordering and call-ahead ordering with curbside delivery; the dining room will remain closed for the immediate future to help ensure the safety of guests and team members. Additionally, Captain D's has enhanced its standard employee food safety protocol to now include single-use dining items, sanitation procedures deployed every 30 minutes, the installment of plexiglass barriers between guests and cashiers, among other measures, according to the release.

Alongside its Southeast development, Captain D's has maintained a focus on growth in the Midwest, opening restaurants in Illinois, Wisconsin and Missouri over the past couple years. Captain D's made entry into its 23rd state in May, debuting a location in Clinton Township, Michigan. The chain is projected to keep this momentum going with a restaurant opening in Champaign, Illinois, later this month.

"Having an existing franchisee group like Trident Holdings continue to grow with our brand reinforces the strength of our franchise opportunity and the unlimited potential there is for success – all backed by 50+ years of seafood and franchise industry expertise. As they've worked to develop their portfolio with us over the past five years, it has always remained our top priority to provide them — and all our franchisees — with the right tools and support needed to succeed," said Brad Reed, chief development officer of Captain D's. "We're proud to have a robust network of experienced and passionate multi-unit operators, which has been key in fueling our ongoing growth as we continue to expand across target markets."

Captain D's has more than 500 locations.