Captain D’s, a leading fast casual seafood restaurant, announced Wednesday it has signed a franchise development agreement with industry veterans Richard Reeves and Larry Lavigne to expand its presence throughout Florida’s west coast, bringing nine new restaurants to the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Sarasota-Bradenton market. This agreement was fueled by the company’s alliance with leading development firm American Development Partners (ADP), which has helped propel the brand’s aggressive franchise development plans. Over the past several years, Captain D’s has continued to achieve significant growth and experience ongoing success, with 2016 marking its sixth consecutive year of same-store sales increases and fourth successive year of record high system-wide AUV.
“At Captain D’s, supporting both new and existing franchisees is a top priority and our alliance with ADP is a reflection of our commitment to them,” says Michael Arrowsmith, chief development officer of Captain D’s. “Our ongoing success has established Captain D’s as one of the strongest franchising opportunities in the industry today and contributed to our expansion nationwide. We look forward to working with Richard and Larry, and have no doubt that their impressive expertise will be a valuable asset as we continue our growth in the Sunshine State.”
Driving Captain D’s growth in Florida are new franchisees Richard Reeves and Larry Lavigne, who will be opening nine locations in the greater Tampa Bay market over the next five years. As part of its alliance with Captain D’s, ADP will assist the franchisees with the development of their new locations by facilitating the acquisition of land and overseeing construction. Reeves brings more than 40 years of industry experience to the table and is a multi-unit operator of World of Beer, Taco John’s, Checker’s and Church’s. Lavigne currently manages daily operations at 15 Jet’s Pizza locations and oversees 25 additional franchise locations, and will be overseeing operations at each of the new Captain D’s restaurants.
“After decades working in the food service and franchising industries, we can spot a good opportunity when we see one. Captain D’s unparalleled support for its franchise network and outstanding management team made it the obvious choice for us and we’re thrilled to add one of the strongest fast casual concepts to our portfolio,” says Reeves. “The Tampa Bay region is a thriving community that is ripe with potential for the brand and we’re proud to be a part of the brand’s expansion in the area.”
Coupled with its menu diversification and expanded array of offerings, Captain D’s credits its new restaurant beach design with contributing to the brand’s compounding success. To date, nearly 60 percent of all restaurants have been reimaged to the brand’s new vibrant, coastal design, with another 50 locations to be remodeled by the end of this year. 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.
With 521 restaurants in 21 states, Captain D’s is a fast-casual seafood leader and number one seafood franchise in America ranked by average unit volume. The company is currently seeking single- and multi-unit operators to join in the brand’s rapid expansion.
