For 50 years, Captain D’s has continued to catch a growing share of the fast-casual market because there is no other franchise quite like us. Aside from maintaining a long and steady run of success, we have also disrupted the market with a truly unique model in an underserved category.
Disrupting the Sea of Sameness in Restaurant Franchises
Captain D’s does more than stand out. We stand alone.
As the nation’s leading fast-casual seafood restaurant, we are the only fish in the sea. By providing an alternative to burgers, pizza, and chicken, we have positioned ourselves to be the franchise of the future with no competition in the fast-casual space.Interested in a fresh alternative to the QSR sea of sameness?
Our hybrid concept that combines casual dining food quality, a QSR price point, and a fast-casual service experience is creating all kinds of buzz!
Captain D’s is making serious waves in the industry and was ranked as Best Food and Restaurant Franchise by Entrepreneur and Top 50 Beloved Brands by Nation’s Restaurant News.
Choose the brand with no direct competition that complements rather than competes with your other brands. Choose Captain D’s.
At Captain D’s, We’re All in the Same Boat.
Another strong selling point of Captain D’s is that over 50% of our 500+ restaurants in 22 states are corporately owned.This means that we are as invested in our restaurant’s success as our Franchise Owners. The corporate team is made up of proven restaurateurs that have some serious skin in the game and are implementing the same practices as their Franchise Owners.
AT CAPTAIN D'S SUCCESS IS SUSTAINABLE
Based on customer demand, it is the perfect time to own a Captain D’s! We all know that today’s customer is looking for healthier options, excellent service, food quality, and meal customization.But, what’s really interesting is how this directly relates to seafood. People are consuming much more fish than in previous decades, with average worldwide per capita consumption hitting 43 pounds per year according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
The global seafood industry contributes $870 billion to the worldwide economy (Future of Fish, 2014). We’re gonna need a bigger boat!
A SHORE THING
To attract and maintain customer loyalty, we offer an excellent product at a phenomenal price, with a dining experience that will keep customers coming back.Simply by focusing on seafood options, we already stand out. But, that’s only one part of it.
The quality of our product also sets us apart.
Our chef-driven menu starts with whole cut filets, no square patties made of processed seafood here. All of this at an affordable price—including a $4.99 value offering that will keep customers coming back again and again.AUTHENTIC BRAND. SUPERIOR PRODUCT.
- Captain D’s will not be outdone when it comes to quality seafood. We can tell you where your fish is caught, thanks to our use of sustainable fishing grounds near Alaska.
- We also use the entire cut, or fillet, of the fish for our products—no piecing together scraps and then breading it to hold the whole thing together. Our fish fillet flakes when it’s cut, just like it’s supposed to.
Smooth Seas Ahead
Captain D’s is not a publicly traded company so we can provide as much support to our Franchise Owners as we see fit!And we do A LOT. Our pre-opening marketing plans, scheduled and unscheduled restaurant visits, and our ongoing educational tools maximize our Franchise Owners success.
- 7 Certified Trainers on Opening Day
- 68 Restaurant Operators on Training Team
- 750+ Grand Opening Training Hours
A GREAT CATCH
Our revenues are rising every year, making it a great time to own a Captain D’s!WE SEA YOU OWNING A CAPTAIN D'S FRANCHISE!
PLEASE COMPLETE OUR FORM, AND A MEMBER OF THE CAPTAIN D’S FRANCHISE DEVELOPMENT TEAM WILL CONTACT YOU.
Captain D’s Expands Florida Footprint with New End-Cap Location in Gainesville
Franchising Duo Grows North Central Florida Presence with Prime Real Estate and Drive-Thru Convenience
Captain D’s, the nation’s leading fast-casual seafood restaurant, has opened a new location in Gainesville, Florida, at 209 NW 75th Street in the Tower Center Shopping Mall, just off the bustling Newberry Street area.
The 2,172-square-foot restaurant occupies prime end-cap real estate, a format that delivers strong benefits for Captain D’s. The well-positioned site features a convenient drive-thru and dining room seating for 36. Guests can enjoy a menu of Captain D’s signature favorites such as craveable batter-dipped fish (classic and spicy), hand-breaded chicken tenders, butterfly shrimp, Nashville hot fish, and a variety of grilled options, all served with the brand’s popular Southern-style sides.
Franchise owners Toks Achebe and Wanda Davis, who brought Captain D’s to neighboring Ocala this past fall, continue to look for growth opportunities with the brand and high-traffic sites like this end-cap location. They chose the Gainesville market for their next venture because of its strong energy and food culture.
“Gainesville is a dynamic city, and if you’re in the food business, you have to have a presence here,” said Achebe. “We know Captain D’s will quickly become a new neighborhood favorite for its fresh, high-quality seafood, convenience and friendly service. We look forward to introducing this outstanding fast casual brand to the community.”
In addition to Captain D’s and Dairy Queen locations in Ocala, Achebe and Davis also own and operate a Captain D’s in Palatka.
“Gainesville offers a tremendous opportunity for Captain D’s continued growth in Florida, and end-cap real estate plays an important role in our expansion strategy,” said Brad Reed, Chief Development Officer of Captain D’s. “These high-visibility locations pair especially well with experienced operators like Toks and Wanda, whose proven track record with our brand and community-forward mindset make them ideal partners.”
With more than 530 restaurants in 23 states and three countries, Captain D’s is the fast-casual seafood leader and number one seafood franchise in America ranked by average unit volume. The company is currently seeking single- and multi-unit operators to join in the brand’s rapid expansion.
ABOUT CAPTAIN D’S
Headquartered in Nashville, Tenn., Captain D's has more than 530 restaurants in 23 states and three countries. Captain D's is the nation's leading fast casual seafood restaurant and has been ranked #1 in the seafood category for eight consecutive years in Entrepreneur's Franchise 500. It was also named the #1 seafood chain in the QSR 50, ranked by AUV. Founded in 1969, Captain D's has been offering its customers high-quality seafood at reasonable prices in a welcoming atmosphere for over 50 years. Captain D's serves a wide variety of seafood that includes freshly prepared entrees and the company's signature batter dipped fish. The restaurants also offer premium-quality, grilled items such as shrimp, salmon, and whitefish as well as hushpuppies, desserts and freshly brewed, Southern-style sweet tea, a Captain D's favorite.
What makes Captain D’s successful today is the revamped brand — the new inviting colors, the lighting and the modern design change. Captain D’s is also growing strategically and has a spot in my heart and in my organization because we know that the growth is there
When we were researching franchise opportunities, Captain D’s immediately went to the top of the list. The company is moving up, and management is moving the brand to the middle of the QSR space where there really is no competition. Today Captain D’s is in the best position that it has been in over the course of the brand’s 45-year history.
We looked at several franchise brands — from Jimmy John’s to Steak ’n Shake to Newk’s Eatery. Captain D’s, with their new management team, has really improved the brand. My wife doesn’t eat fried food, so the grilled menu really appealed to us. Having the grilled menu on top of the classic menu gives everyone an option, and anyone can find something they like. We like that they are constantly trying different food and menu items and that they test them in company stores before they roll them out to us. We only get the items that work well. They make sure there are good options for franchisees and that we make a good margin. Then you add in the training they provide; they really show you how to be successful. If you meet with the management team, you’ll see how excited they are about what they are doing. You can really see progress and changes they’ve made.
I’ve been in the restaurant business for over 46 years, and I started at an hourly, entry-level position in 1968. I worked my way up to become a Wendy’s franchisee for 25 years and sold my interests in them in 2003. Since then, I’ve been concentrating on Captain D’s. 2011 was a big year, 2012 was really big, 2013 was even bigger, 2014 was huge. I was anticipating 2015 for our ability to keep growing at that pace, and sure enough our sales are even stronger this year! When you experience growth like that and are a restaurant owner, you credit it to your management of operations. In reality, a lot of the credit goes to the corporate management team and our CEO in particular. They’ve done a great job building up Captain D’s, and I make sure they know I appreciate it. The CEO sets the atmosphere and demonstrates that people come first. He is always giving people credit for the successes Captain D’s is having.
