Captain D’s, the nation’s leading fast-casual seafood restaurant, announced today the opening of two new restaurants in the Midwest, highlighting the brand’s development and explosive momentum in the region. The newest franchised location in Milwaukee marks the company’s first in Wisconsin and is owned and operated by Valerie Daniels-Carter, an industry veteran, and the country’s largest female African-American foodservice franchisee. Additionally, Captain D’s unveiled its newest restaurant prototype, which features a smaller footprint, at the opening of its corporate-owned location in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.
Located at 7320 Good Hope Road, the new Milwaukee restaurant is the first of six Captain D’s locations Valerie Daniels-Carter plans to develop throughout the greater Milwaukee and Detroit regions over the next several years. A seasoned industry leader with decades of experience, Daniels-Carter owns and operates more than 135 locations nationwide from an extensive portfolio of nationally recognized franchise brands, including Burger King, Pizza Hut, Haagen-Dazs and Coffee Beanery stores, as well as eight Auntie Anne’s stores with NBA All-Star Shaquille O’Neal. Daniels-Carter is already developing her second Captain D’s restaurant in Milwaukee, which is slated to open next year.
“We’ve continually invested in our company operations and systems to ensure our franchisees receive an unparalleled level of support, and as a result, we’ve captured the attention of experienced multi-unit operators nationwide looking to diversify. Having an exceptional multi-unit operator like Valerie Daniels-Carter join the brand is a true testament to Captain D’s position as one of the strongest franchising opportunities available in the fast-casual segment today,” said Michael Arrowsmith, chief development officer for Captain D’s.
Captain D’s also debuted its newest restaurant prototype, which features a footprint of nearly 1,000 sq. feet smaller than the brand’s traditional locations, at the opening of its corporate-owned location in Cape Girardeau. Located at 205 South Kings Highway, the Cape Girardeau restaurant is 1,994 sq. feet and marks the company’s 19th location in the state of Missouri. Captain D’s has continued to establish Missouri as a prime market for expansion, with two additional restaurants slated to open this year in Wentzville and Overland. This growth is fueled by the success of Captain D’s existing restaurants in the state and further solidifies the company’s strong brand presence in Missouri and the Midwest region.
“Our innovative new prototype reflects our commitment to continually evolving and offering improved options to franchisees, which has allowed Captain D’s to remain at the forefront of the industry. The opening of two restaurants in one day in key expansion markets is an intentional result of executing our growth strategy and we look forward to continuing these efforts in 2018,” added Arrowsmith.
Captain D’s expansion in the Midwest comes on the heels of the outstanding success the brand has experienced over the past several years. These achievements fueled a surge in a franchise and corporate development throughout 2017, with more than 20 new locations opened and numerous development agreements signed to open new restaurants in key markets nationwide, including Florida, South Carolina, Texas, Georgia, Illinois, Tennessee, Alabama, Arkansas, and Virginia.
Coupled with its ongoing menu innovation, Captain D’s credits its new restaurant beach design with contributing to the brand’s ongoing strong performance. To date, nearly 75 percent of all restaurants have been reimaged to the brand’s new vibrant, coastal design. With these efforts, Captain D’s has remained true to what it does best — serving high-quality seafood with warm hospitality at an affordable price in a welcoming atmosphere.
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