Fast Casual Seafood Leader’s Largest Franchisee Adds 39th Restaurant to Growing Portfolio
Captain D’s, the nation’s leading fast casual seafood restaurant, announced today the opening of its newest franchised location in Shreveport, Louisiana. Located at 7798 Youree Drive, the new restaurant marks Captain D’s first location in Shreveport and eighth overall in the state. Coming in on the heels of the brand’s grand opening in Lancaster, South Carolina in late May, Captain D’s opening in Shreveport accelerates the brand’s Southeastern development, with additional restaurants in Palatka, Florida and Oak Grove, Kentucky slated to open later this year.
The Shreveport Captain D’s is opening with drive-thru, carry-out, online ordering and call ahead ordering with curbside delivery; the dining room will remain closed for the immediate future to help ensure the safety of guests and team members. 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, among other measures.
Spearheading Captain D’s ongoing development in Louisiana is existing franchisee and seasoned multi-unit operator, Chris Benner of Trident Holdings, LLC. Chris and his business partners, Tim and Ed Stokes, first began franchising with Captain D’s in 2015 and have since become the brand’s largest franchisees, now operating 39 restaurants across nine states in the Southeast. In 2018, the group of distinguished restaurant operators reinvested with the fast casual seafood leader, signing an agreement to acquire eight existing Captain D’s locations, as well as develop 10 new locations in states like Mississippi and Georgia. Benner and the Stokes kicked off their string of new development with the opening of their Lewisburg, Tennessee Captain D’s in December 2019 and, in addition to their new Shreveport restaurant, will open another Captain D’s in Oak Grove, Kentucky this September.
“Just five years ago, Ed, Tim and I began our journey as Captain D’s franchisees, and we’re fortunate to have grown alongside this brand as its largest multi-unit operators in such a short amount of time,” said Benner. “A main reason why we chose Captain D’s and have remained loyal to the brand is because of its best-in-class franchisee support and training programs, which not only positioned us for immediate success but helped us sustain our growth as we scaled and expanded across the Southeast, even during this challenging time in the industry. In return, we’ve always enjoyed bringing that same mentality into our own restaurants, and serving the warm, welcoming hospitality Captain D’s is known for. We’re thrilled to bring a brand we love to the Shreveport community and serve the local residents here.”
Alongside its Southeast development, Captain D’s has maintained a focus on growth in the Midwest, opening new restaurants in states like Illinois, Wisconsin and Missouri over the past couple years. Most recently, Captain D’s made entry into its 23rd state, debuting a new location in Clinton Township, Michigan in May. Looking ahead, Captain D’s is projected to keep this momentum going with a new restaurant opening in Champaign, Illinois later this month.
“Having an existing franchisee group like Trident Holdings continue to grow with our brand reinforces the strength of our franchise opportunity and the unlimited potential there is for success – all backed by 50+ years of seafood and franchise industry expertise. As they’ve worked to develop their portfolio with us over the past five years, it has always remained our top priority to provide them – and all our franchisees – with the right tools and support needed to succeed,” said Brad Reed, chief development officer of Captain D’s. “We’re proud to have a robust network of experienced and passionate multi-unit operators, which has been key in fueling our ongoing growth as we continue to expand across target markets.”
The Captain D’s in Shreveport is open Monday – Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 a.m. Call ahead orders can be placed by calling 318-656-5540.
With more than 530 restaurants in 23 states, 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. For more information about franchise opportunities, visit http://www.captaindsfranchising.com or call 800-314-4819.
