Leading Seafood Franchise’s Largest Franchisee Group Celebrates 40th Restaurant Opening
Captain D’s, the nation’s leading fast casual seafood restaurant, announced today the opening of its newest franchised location in Oak Grove, Kentucky. Located at 211 Claire Ave. off of Fort Campbell Boulevard near the Army base, the new restaurant marks Captain D’s first location in the Oak Grove community, 39th overall in the state, and is owned and operated by Chris Benner of Trident Holdings, LLC. Benner and his business partners, Tim and Ed Stokes, have become Captain D’s largest franchisee group in just five years. Coming on the heels of their recent opening in Shreveport, Louisiana in July, the new Oak Grove franchise eclipses 40 Captain D’s restaurants in Trident’s growing portfolio, with future development planned for Mississippi and Georgia, as well as in Tennessee with Captain D’s sister brand, Grandy’s.
“When we first became Captain D’s franchisees in 2015, we never imagined we would have 40 restaurants open and operating by 2020. We attribute much of our success to the unparalleled support and flexibility that Captain D’s has provided us with from the very beginning, and our continued growth amid the many challenges faced with the pandemic is a testament to that,” said Benner. “We currently have six existing locations in Kentucky and are excited to grow our footprint with the opening of our new Oak Grove restaurant. With young families throughout the area and the Fort Campbell Army base nearby, we know our high-quality seafood and reasonable prices will resonate with local residents here.”
The Oak Grove Captain D’s offers dining room open at 50% occupancy, drive-thru, carry-out, and call ahead ordering with contactless curbside pick-up. Online ordering at captainds.com, as well as third-party delivery through Door Dash and Uber Eats is also available. 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.
Following openings in Florida, Louisiana and South Carolina earlier this year, Captain D’s newest Kentucky restaurant signifies the brand’s continued expansion plans for the Southeast, fueled by an established network of seasoned multi-unit franchisees that, like Trident Holdings, LLC, continue to grow alongside the brand. As the leading seafood franchise, Captain D’s has strong unit-level economics, best-in-class training and support, and an unwavering commitment to innovation. These attributes, coupled with its unique seafood proposition in a saturated fast casual segment, make the brand an ideal investment among multi-brand operators. In addition to the Southeast region, Captain D’s is targeting growth throughout the Midwest, as well as in states like Texas and Utah. The brand plans to open new restaurants in Mount Pleasant, Texas and Doniphan, Missouri before the end of the year.
“We’re proud to see all that Chris and the Trident team have accomplished as they open their 40th Captain D’s restaurant in the great town of Oak Grove, Kentucky. Their passion for our brand and the dedication that they have to their teams, communities and guests is what helps drive Captain D’s to its fullest potential,” said Brad Reed, chief development officer of Captain D’s. “As we continue with our Southeast expansion plans, Kentucky remains a key state in our development strategy and we look forward to growing in more communities in the future.”
The Captain D’s in Oak Grove is open Sunday – Thursday from 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday – Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., with the dining room closing at 10 p.m. Call ahead orders can be placed by calling 270-560-4330.
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.
