Captain D’s announced the opening of its newest franchised location in Hazlehurst, marking the brand’s 105th restaurant in the state of Georgia. Located at 5 W. Coffee Street, the new Hazlehurst restaurant will be owned and operated by experienced multi-unit franchisee Robert Wiggins of Rocket Enterprises, LTD, who also operates several food service franchise concepts throughout the Southeast and plans to open two additional Captain D’s restaurants in Georgia by 2021.
“Captain D’s commitment to innovation and outstanding level of corporate support made it the obvious choice for me to diversify my portfolio, and I’m thrilled to be opening my first location with this leading concept. I have no doubt that the brand’s strong presence in the Southeast coupled with my extensive industry knowledge will position me for continued success,” says Robert Wiggins. “Hazlehurst is the first of three locations I plan to open with Captain D’s, and I look forward to continuing to grow with the brand and bringing high-quality seafood products to more communities in Southeast Georgia.”
Although a first-time franchisee with the Captain D’s brand, Wiggins has cultivated an extensive background in foodservice management with his experience owning and operating 26 Hardee’s across Southeast Georgia, Northeast Florida and Southern South Carolina. Alongside his new Captain D’s, Wiggins plans to continue managing his existing Checker’s, Huddle Houses, Dick’s Wings & Grill, Arby’s, Pizza Inn and Sleep Inns & Suites locations throughout Southern Georgia.
Captain D’s has achieved outstanding success over the past several years, which has fueled a surge in franchise and corporate development. Throughout the past year, the company has opened more than a dozen new locations and inked numerous franchise development agreements to open new restaurants in states like Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana, Georgia, North Carolina, Illinois, Michigan and Oklahoma. With more than 530 restaurants in 22 states, Captain D’s is the fast-casual seafood leader and number one seafood franchise in America ranked by average unit volume.
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 80 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.
