Franchising

Captain D's targeting Florida for growth

Provided

August 17, 2020

Captain D's has opened its latest franchised location in Palatka, Florida, at 200 State Road 19, marking the chain's eighth location in Northeast Florida and 32nd overall in the state. Following openings in South Carolina and Louisiana earlier this year, the Florida restaurant showcases Captain D's steady growth across the Southeast region, with an additional location slated to open in Oak Grove, Kentucky next month, according to a company press release.

The Palatka location is open for drive-thru, carry out and call-ahead ordering with contactless curbside pick-up only. The dining room, however, will remain closed for the immediate future to help with the safety of guests and team members. Online ordering at captainds.com, as well as third-party delivery will be available at a later date. 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, employee health screenings, among other measures, according to the release.

Behind Captain D's Florida growth are restaurant industry veterans, Wanda Davis and Toks Achebe of Crossroads Portfolio Inc. Although first-time Captain D's franchisees, Davis and Achebe bring over 17 years of franchise industry expertise to the fast casual seafood brand, previously owning and operating Bojangles' and McDonald's restaurants throughout Georgia. While plotting the construction of their new restaurant, the duo worked closely with Captain D's real estate and development teams, as well as Putnam County officials to restructure the restaurant prototype's layout in order to preserve 200-year-old oak trees located on the property.

"Drawing on nearly two decades of experience in restaurant operations, Toks and I knew from the start that Captain D's was the perfect fit to expand our portfolio into the fast casual seafood segment. Since signing our agreement last year, the brand has supported us every step of the way, particularly in pivoting our construction plans and reconfiguring our restaurant's footprint to salvage a piece of Putnam County's history," Wanda Davis said in the release. "It is extremely rewarding to see the end product — made possible by Captain D's talented teams, as well as the flexible prototype options it made available to us — and we're excited to continue being an active member of our new community, bringing Captain D's fresh seafood to another corner of Northeast Florida."

Since launching its development strategy for Florida a few years ago, Captain D's considers the state a prime market for franchise development.

"As a state surrounded by water, seafood naturally resonates with Florida residents, making it an ideal development market for our brand. With existing Florida locations consistently reporting positive sales, our unique proposition in the fast casual segment coupled with the quality of our product and reasonable prices, continues to attract best-in-class restaurant operators like Wanda and Toks who are eager to capitalize on the tremendous opportunity our brand has here," CDO Brad Reed said in the release. "Wanda and Toks' community-first mentality directly reflects Captain D's brand values, and it has been a pleasure working with them to create development solutions to best serve the Palatka community. We look forward serving residents here for many years to come."

Captain D's has more than 530 restaurants in 23 states.