One of the great things about owning a franchise is access to a proven system. However, there are still many ways to personalize your franchise portfolio.
We sat down with three Captain D’s franchisees to learn more about their approaches to business. Find out why they chose to invest in the #1 seafood QSR franchise and how they continue to grow.
Joe Springer: The multi-unit legacy owner
One of Captain D’s largest operators, Joe Springer has been with the brand for over 13 years. Together with his business group, Nufish, he owns 20 units across Tennessee, Mississippi and Arkansas — and plans to add 10 more.
When asked why he chose to invest so much in one brand, his response was simple: “Because of the track record that we’ve had in front of us for the last 13 years.”
With no direct competition, Captain D’s stands out in the market. Joe shares his take on why he’s seen such success in recent years.
“I’ve seen most recently — what I call the evolution of proteins,” he says, “the draw away from burgers and chicken boxes more towards seafood.”
Not only does a burger franchise or chicken franchise have more competition in most markets, but they also typically face more supply chain issues. Captain D’s main menu item, Pollock, is one of the most abundant types of seafood. Backed with dependable supplier connections, franchisees can offer high-quality, affordable seafood.
“I wouldn’t be going from 20 to 30 restaurants if the process wasn’t as easy as it is,” concludes Joe.
Salman Iqbal: The new QSR franchisee
Salman Iqbal has operated convenience store franchises for over 20 years. Knowing it was time to diversify his portfolio, he started researching QSR franchises in the Houston, Texas area.
“Captain D’s was one of the easiest choices to make because that was the only one out there. There’s other mom and pops, but really not a national QSR with a drive-thru concept of a seafood restaurant,” he says.
Though he didn’t have direct restaurant experience, his strong background in operating C-stores offered enough overlap to qualify for a franchise. With the help of Captain D’s support teams, he has since opened two locations in just over a year.
“We were able to open the location up in less than four months because Captain D’s was on top of their timelines,” he says, “They’ve guided us through from the point we signed the contract ‘til today.”
Kelly Moughal and Mohammed Saleem: The NYC multi-brand franchisees
Mohammed Saleem immigrated from Pakistan in 1981. Not long after, he opened his first franchise business. Kelly Moughal was a veteran of business operations at the 7-Eleven Corporation. When they married in 2001, the two joined forces and have since won multiple sales awards with their restaurant brands, including Subway, Little Caesars and Checkers.
As QSR connoisseurs, they knew Captain D’s was special when they tried the food while traveling. Since then, they’ve signed a three-restaurant development agreement to introduce the brand to New York City.
“As a multi-unit owner of quite a few different brands out there, we don’t have anything like Captain D’s,” Kelly says.
A key factor in joining Captain D’s was the range of flexible prototypes, starting at just 960 square feet.
“Unlike a lot of other brands that are limited or restrictive on their building requirements, Captain D’s has flexible prototypes that can meet the very challenging real estate market that we have in New York City,” says Kelly, “We were very impressed early on when we saw how innovative and how flexible they are.”
Open your own Captain D’s restaurant franchise
Curious if you have what it takes to open a Captain D’s franchise? Fill out the form below to get in touch with our franchise development team. In the meantime, take a look at our ownership requirements, including:
- Restaurant ownership or operations experience
- $350,000 liquid assets
- $1,000,000 net worth
With conversions starting at $350,000 and new builds starting at $868,600, there are plenty of ways to personalize your portfolio with a proven franchise.
