Captain D’s LLC, the fast-casual seafood restaurant known for serving freshly prepared seafood for more than four decades, announced Steve Bielewicz, Jennifer Benjamin, and Jeff White have joined the company’s development team. Bielewicz and Benjamin have been named senior director of franchise development and director of franchise development, respectively, and will be responsible for driving the company’s franchise expansion nationwide. White will serve as the new director of real estate and, alongside Phil Russo, the company’s vice president of real estate, will spearhead franchise real estate efforts.
“Captain D’s has experienced immense growth and success over the past few years, and we are thrilled to welcome three exceptional industry veterans to our development team to help us accelerate this momentum in 2016,” says Michael Arrowsmith, chief development officer of Captain D’s. “A huge component of our ongoing success is our talented staff, and their hard work and expertise has continually set Captain D’s apart as the seafood industry leader. Steve, Jennifer, and Jeff each bring a wealth of knowledge to the table and we have no doubt they will be tremendous assets to the Captain D’s family.”
Steve Bielewicz has been named the new Captain D’s senior director of franchise development and will be responsible for expanding the company’s presence in the western region. A franchising industry veteran, Bielewicz has previously worked for franchising and development groups of several major companies including Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, Denny’s, Quiznos, and most recently Massage Envy, as well as supported corporate development with Eckerd Drug stores. He earned a bachelor’s degree and MBA from the University of Wisconsin.
Prior to joining Captain D’s, Jennifer Benjamin most recently served as director of franchise development for Huddle House Inc., where she handled the restaurant’s single and multiunit franchising efforts across the Southeast territory and helped drive growth by more than 350 percent. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Kennesaw State University.
Jeff White has joined Captain D’s as director of real estate. In his new role, White will assist franchisees day-to-day in real estate site selection, and develop and implement market planning for the company’s national expansion. With more than 20 years of experience in the real estate industry, White has a proven track record of success with site selection and market development, previously serving as the director of franchise real estate for Little Caesars, and most recently, as the real estate manager of the Krystal Company, where he helped the company expand its presence throughout the Southeast. White received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia and is also a certified commercial real estate paralegal through the National Center for Paralegal Training.
With 515 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. Captain D’s recently unveiled a new design featuring a vibrant coastal atmosphere and upgraded the dining experience with new plate ware and silverware. Captain D’s new menu, featuring several new items, is brought to life with upgraded menu boards and also features several new kids’ meal offerings.
