Franchising

Captain D's opens 3rd Express prototype

Provided

August 9, 2023

Nashville-based Captain D's is opening its third Express model, a prototype featuring a double drive-thru and carryout service only, in the St. Louis-area market at 8001 N. Lindberg Ave., in Hazelwood, Missouri.

Captain D's Express debuted last year with a franchise location in Atlanta and a company-owned Express in the Columbus, Ohio, market.

Sporting a significantly smaller design with no dining room, Express is 960 square feet and meets the demands of urban markets with limited space and caters to customers on the move with a drive-thru and walk-up windows, according to Brad Reed, chief development officer of Captain D's.

"With our focus on drive-thru efficiency and convenience on the go, Captain D's Express is a natural fit for a busy metropolitan area like St. Louis," he said in a company press release. "We are always striving to serve our guests in the best way we can, focusing on our food quality, speed of service and all the other ways we can best bring Captain D's to the community. We look forward to elevating the overall customer experience in Hazelwood with Express."

The company has introduced double drive-thrus at six locations and is improving service speeds by as much as a minute and a half and increasing daily car counts by up to 35%.

The chain has also heavily invested in real estate innovation over the past several years, developing a robust lineup of restaurant prototypes, Reed said. In addition to Express, there are 22- and 44-seat models designed to adapt to the increasingly competitive real estate market and provide franchisees with flexibility and substantial cost savings. Because of its compact footprint, Express models can reduce start-up costs by as much as 25%. A smaller footprint also means a streamlined workforce of 20 to 25 staff members rather than the typical 40 to 45 people. Captain D's is also converting vacant restaurant properties, with three cost-effective conversions recently completed in Georgia markets and more on the way.

Captain D's has over 530 restaurants in 23 states.