News

Captain D's opens 19th Ohio unit

Provided

December 10, 2019

Captain D's is opening in Chillicothe, Ohio, at 1344 Western Ave., marking the brand's 19th unit in the state. The move comes on the heels of a surge of Midwestern development with openings in Carbondale, Illinois, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, earlier this year. Looking ahead, Captain D's plans to hone in on its Midwest expansion strategy, executing two franchise development agreements signed for Illinois, specifically to develop across the Chicago metro area and Champaign, according to a company press release.

Leading Captain D's growth in Ohio is multi-unit owner and operator, Inderjit "Ike" Khosla of K&R Associates. After a career as an engineer in the coal mining industry for 20+ years, Khosla left his profession to pursue an entrepreneurial path as a franchisee with the fast casual seafood brand in 1991. The Chillicothe restaurant marks Khosla's third Captain D's, with two additional locations open in Goody, Kentucky, and Logan, West Virginia.

"Nearly three decades ago, I took a leap in a completely new direction by becoming a Captain D's franchisee and haven't looked back since," Khosla said in the release. "From the very beginning I was met with tremendous franchisee support, which has given me the strong foundation I've needed to be successful and continue growing with the brand. Going on my third Captain D's restaurant, I'm excited to be a part of the brand's greater expansion plans for the Midwest and bringing its high-quality menu-items and hospitable atmosphere to new territories."

Throughout the year, Captain D's has pursued new markets, opening a total of 18 locations, and expanding its brand presence in areas such as the Midwest, South Florida and Texas. Following this surge in development, Captain D's recently signed its first agreement in Utah, where it will develop three restaurants across the Salt Lake City market over the next few years, extending Captain D's footprint to its most western point in the brand's history.  

"In our 50th year of being in business, Captain D's has reached tremendous development milestones, breaking in to new markets and furthering our footprint across the country," Brad Reed, chief development officer of Captain D's, said in the release. "We're proud to develop new restaurants with dedicated multi-unit operators like Ike who share our vision for growth, particularly in the Midwest, and recognize the unique investment opportunity our company adds to any franchise network."

With more than 530 restaurants in 22 states, Captain D's serves a variety of seafood that includes freshly prepared entrees and the company's signature batter-dipped fish.