Captain D’s announced the brand has grown its footprint in Texas with a conversion of former Church’s Chicken to its newest franchised location opening today in Houston, located at 5854 Hwy. 6 N. The brand has continued to target Houston as a prime market for expansion, and the opening of this new location is fueled by the tremendous success and surge in franchise development Captain D’s experienced in 2017.

The Houston restaurant is owned and operated by Michael Knobelock and marks the first of four Captain D’s locations he plans to develop in the community over the next several years. A franchising industry veteran, Knobelock has extensive experience as a multi-unit operator, and also owns 43 Church’s Chicken and 20 Little Caesars franchises nationwide, as well as two Captain D’s restaurants in Mississippi. The Houston conversion marks Captain D’s 14th location in Texas and signifies the brand’s accelerated development plans for the region.

“I’ve loved Captain D’s since I was a kid, so it was one of the first brands I looked at when I decided to diversify my portfolio. The brand’s evolution over the past several years has solidified its position as an industry leader, and it was obvious to me that the compounding success it’s achieved is a direct reflection of its unwavering commitment to its guests, franchisees and product innovation,” says Knobelock. “The success of my existing locations in Mississippi has fueled my desire to grow with Captain D’s, and I look forward to being a part of the company’s ongoing expansion efforts in Houston.”

Captain D’s expansion in Houston comes on the heels of the outstanding success the brand has experienced over the past several years. This success fueled a surge in 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.

Captain D’s has 532 restaurants in 21 states.