Captain D’s, the nation’s leading fast casual seafood restaurant, announced today the opening of its newest franchised restaurant in Pensacola, Florida. Located at 6387 Pensacola Blvd., the new restaurant marks the rapidly-growing franchise concept’s third location in Pensacola and 33rd overall in the state, reinforcing its strong footprint in the southeast. Behind the expansion is multi-unit franchisee Chris Benner of Trident Holdings, LLC, whose continued success with Captain D’s has fueled his growth with the brand. The Pensacola store marks Benner’s 43rd Captain D’s franchise, showcasing how the company’s ongoing development in key markets nationwide is fueled by its existing operator network expanding their portfolio with new restaurants.
“Chris Benner’s tremendous growth over the last six years as a Captain D’s franchisee is a true testament to the wealth of potential our business model offers. We’re thrilled to be expanding our footprint in Florida alongside such an exceptional franchise operator and have no doubt his 44th location will be another success,” says Brad Reed, chief development officer for Captain D’s. “As evidenced by our strong presence in the state, Florida is a prime development area for our brand, and as we celebrate our latest opening in Pensacola, we look forward to future opportunities to tap into key markets statewide.”
Benner joined the Captain D’s franchise network in 2015 and has rapidly grown the portfolio of Trident Holdings with his business partners, Tim and Ed Stokes. Over the course of six years, Benner and his team have become one of the largest Captain D’s franchisees. The majority of the group’s restaurants are based throughout the southeast, highlighting how strongly the Captain D’s brand resonates with consumers throughout the region. On the heels of this latest opening in Pensacola, Trident Holdings intends to continue developing Captain D’s franchises, with future growth planned for Elberton, Georgia.
“We continue to invest in Captain D’s because of the company’s ongoing success year after year, as well as the unparalleled support we’ve received from its exceptional corporate team. We are thrilled to be opening the brand’s third location in Pensacola and look forward to welcoming members of this thriving community to enjoy our signature high-quality seafood and welcoming atmosphere,” says Chris Benner, COO of Trident Holdings. “Marking our 44th Captain D’s location, our latest opening showcases our unwavering confidence in the brand and we look forward to continuing to invest in this exceptional franchise concept.
As the leading seafood franchise, Captain D’s has strong unit-level economics, best-in-class training and support, and an unwavering commitment to innovation. Coupled with its unique seafood proposition in a saturated fast-casual segment, these attributes make the brand an ideal investment among multi-brand operators. In addition to the Southeast region, Captain D’s is targeting growth throughout the Midwest, as well as in states like Texas and Utah. The brand plans to open new restaurants in Posen, Illinois; Elberton, Georgia; Spring Hill, Florida; and Whitehall, Ohio, before the end of the year.
The Captain D’s new restaurant in Pensacola is open Monday – Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Captain D’s also offers online ordering and third-party delivery. Call-ahead orders can be placed by calling (850) 332-2407.
With more than 540 restaurants in 23 states, Captain D’s is the 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.
