Captain D’s Seafood Restaurants named Darin Harris and Bill Nelson to vice president positions as part of a strategy for long-term growth. Harris will be vice president of franchise development while Nelson will take on the role as vice president of franchise operations.

The two positions are part of a five year plan that calls for a dramatic increase in the number of restaurants. “Captain D’s is planning on opening more company and franchise stores over the next five years than any time in its history,” says Ron Walker, president and COO to participants at the company’s franchise workshop.

“To acheive this goal, D’s is putting a team in place that will work on developing franchise business. Yes, this is an ambitious plan. Yet it is one that is do-able, with the cooperation and participation of all involved. It’s goingo to take teamwork, and we’re getting the team in place to make it happen,” he said.

Harris has seven years of franchise development and food service experience with Pizza Hut, Hudson/Peirce Foods, and Orion Foodsystems. He will be responsible for bringing in new franchisees interested in partnering with a company that aggressively wants to grow.

Once the franchisees have signed on, Nelson will then take over and help franchisees build the restaurants and operate them. Nelson has beenwith Captain D’s for more than 20 years and last served as the company’s vice-president of operations, where he worked with regional directors, area directors, regional offices and stores.

Headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, Captain D’s owns, operates, and franchises 564 restaurants in 28 states, including 362 company owned and 212 franchised restaurants.