Nation’s Leading Fast Casual Seafood Restaurant Continues Midwest Expansion
Captain D’s, the nation’s leading fast casual seafood restaurant, announced today the opening of its newest franchised location in Doniphan, Missouri. Located at 120 Leroux St., the new restaurant marks Captain D’s 21st location in the state and emphasizes the brand’s ongoing franchise development plans for the Midwest. Since 2018, Captain D’s has opened numerous restaurants in states like Illinois, Ohio, Michigan and Wisconsin, including four in Missouri in Cape Girardeau, Overland, Wentzville and now Doniphan.
The Doniphan Captain D’s is owned by new franchisees Charles Baker and Shirley Hunt of Rope, LLC, and its opening marks the duo’s first foray into the restaurant industry. Both business partners are deeply rooted in their local community; Baker was born and raised in Doniphan, while Hunt has lived in the area for more than 20 years. In addition to operating their new Captain D’s restaurant, Baker and Hunt will continue to run their individual businesses in engineering materials and cattle ranching, respectively.
“Shirley and I love our community and are always looking for ways to give back. Neither of us had backgrounds in the restaurant industry but, being in a land-locked state, we felt our local restaurant scene was missing a craveable yet affordable seafood option; that’s why we seized the opportunity with Captain D’s,” said Charles Baker. “Jumping into a new industry can seem daunting at first, but Captain D’s has made the whole experience seamless, supporting Shirley and I every step of the way, and reassuring us that we’re not in this new venture alone. We’re excited to finally open our doors and share the Captain D’s brand with our friends and neighbors in Doniphan.”
In compliance with Missouri’s state and local guidelines for COVID-19 procedures, the Doniphan Captain D’s restaurant is open for dine-in, drive-thru, carry-out, and call ahead ordering with contactless curbside pick-up. 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.
Captain D’s growth in Missouri signifies the outstanding success the brand has achieved in the Midwest, fueling a surge in franchise development throughout the region. The brand debuted a new restaurant in Champaign, Illinois earlier this year, and entered Michigan with the opening of its Clinton Township location. Looking ahead, the brand is continuing to target key Midwest states like Illinois, Indiana and Ohio for franchise growth, as well as Texas, Florida and Virginia in the South.
“While many of our franchisees have been in the restaurant industry for a number of years, we’re proud to have a diverse network made up of people from all kinds of backgrounds. Our team works to provide a smooth transition to help our franchisees get their businesses up and running – whether they’re seasoned professionals or breaking into the industry for the first time,” said Brad Reed, chief development officer of Captain D’s. “Charles and Shirley’s past entrepreneurial experience, strong ties to the Doniphan community and knowledge of the market will be a great assets as they set out on this new endeavor, and we’re honored that they chose Captain D’s to share with their beloved community.”
The Captain D’s in Doniphan 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. Call ahead orders can be placed by calling 573-351-1498.
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.
Headquartered in Nashville, Tenn., Captain D’s has more than 530 restaurants in 23 states. Captain D’s is the nation’s leading fast casual seafood restaurant and was 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 more than 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, Tilapia and Salmon, as well as hush puppies, desserts and freshly brewed, Southern-style sweet tea, a Captain D’s favorite. For more information, please visit www.captainds.com.
