News

Captain D's reopens Kentucky unit damaged by fire

Provided by Captain D's

September 11, 2019

Captain D's is reopening its franchised location in Frankfort, Kentucky, just five months after it was damaged in a fire in February 2018, according to a company press release. The reopening of the unit, 615 Versailles Road, marks the brand's 38th Kentucky location as it continues targeted growth throughout the state. Additional restaurants will open by year's end in Danville and Shelbyville.

Marty Johnson and Earl Smith of Nautical Restaurants Inc. own the Frankfort location. Johnson, who serves as president, began his career with Captain D's in 1979, as a cook, eventually working his way up to franchisee. His business partner, Earl Smith, joined the brand in 1990, as a general manager after spending a decade with Pizza Hut. The duo now owns five Captain D's restaurants throughout the region. 

"Throughout our rebuilding process, the leadership at Captain D's assisted us every step of the way, providing invaluable support as we navigated everything from construction to retraining our staff. We would expect no less from the trusted brand considering that, between the two of us, we have been with Captain D's for over 70 years," Smith said in the release. "We could not feel more prepared to reopen our Frankfort location thanks to the team and are looking forward to our continued growth with the leading franchise concept."

Captain D's, last year, achieved its highest average number of units signed since 2015, and has projected to open over the next several years in Mississippi, Georgia, North Carolina, Illinois, Michigan and Oklahoma. The brand has maintained that momentum in the first half of this year, signing agreements to develop more than 25 additional restaurants in key markets, including Florida and Louisiana.

"Marty and Earl have been with our brand for many years, and they continue to trust our vision and remain eager to adapt with our innovations. As we continue to expand our footprint throughout Kentucky, we're grateful to have dedicated and experienced franchisees like them, who have provided us with a strong foundation to support this ongoing growth," Brad Reed, chief development officer of Captain D's, said in the release. "We're excited to reopen the doors of our Frankfort restaurant and serve the community here once again."

The chain has more than 530 restaurants in 22 states.