Captain D’s vice president of construction, Larry Jones, was recognized at the 2019 NAFEM Show. Jones was celebrated during the event for his work with Vulcan, a best-in-class supplier of top quality, energy efficient foodservice equipment. Together, Jones and Vulcan developed an ENERGY STAR certified countertop electric fryer, which was on display at the show’s WHAT’S HOT! WHAT’S COOL! What Works! gallery, a showcase of the industry’s most exciting equipment and supplies innovations.
Jones partnered with Vulcan in 2016 to design the countertop electric fryer, which was integrated into Captain D’s restaurants beginning in July 2017. The fryers offer all of the benefits of traditional electric floor model fryers but in a convenient countertop design. With the fryer in its kitchen lineup, Captain D’s reduced cook times by 30-percent, enhanced food quality (less absorption, crispier product) and improved ergonomics for staff. Additionally, Larry worked very closely with Traulsen, a premier refrigeration brand, to develop a new line of durable, high-performance freezer equipment stands to serve as the ideal base for mounting these fryers. With this, Captain D’s was able to make more use of available vertical space in its kitchens, saving franchisees upward of $10,000 in development costs.
“For several years, Captain D’s has been regarded as the leader of the fast-casual seafood segment, recognized for its quality product and state-of-the-art equipment, franchisee satisfaction and consistently delivering best-in-class experiences for both guests and franchisees. Much of this success can be attributed to Larry’s contributions, including the countertop electric fryer with Vulcan, which has significantly assisted in our franchise development efforts and cut costs for our franchisees,” says Brad Reed, chief development officer of Captain D’s.
Captain D’s ongoing commitment to its kitchen equipment innovation has fueled franchise development in Orlando and beyond. Most recently, the brand opened its newest Orlando-area location, owned by franchisee Amin Gulamali who has plans to develop two more over the next few years. In addition to its development in Florida, Captain D’s has opened more than a dozen new locations and inked numerous franchise development agreements over the past 12 months to open new restaurants in states like Mississippi, Louisiana, Georgia, North Carolina, Illinois, Michigan and Oklahoma.