Captain D’s announced it is experiencing continued success with 4.94 percent same-store-sales growth for the first quarter of 2015. This success is due in part to the company’s new grilled menu, which launched last year and continues to expand with new offerings. The company’s new “D-Lite Meals” features five meals under 500 calories, including better-for-you options like Tilapia, Surf and Turf, Wild Alaskan Salmon, and Shrimp Skewers. The new D-Lite Meal offerings sparked a 25 percent increase in grilled menu item sales in January alone.
“Last year was a spectacular year for Captain D’s, and we are thrilled our team has leveraged that momentum with a strong first quarter,” says CEO Phil Greifeld. “By remaining true to serving high-quality seafood with warm hospitality, we continue to deliver an exceptional dining experience for our guests, which has translated into immense growth. The success we’ve seen as a result of our brand innovation solidifies why Captain D’s is a leader in the seafood industry today.”
In addition to the new grilled menu items, Captain D’s offered several new differentiated items for a limited time only during the first quarter, such as Crab Bites and its Funnel Cake Stix dessert, which both bolstered company-wide sales. Driving awareness of all these new offerings was the latest installment of the award winning “For the Love of D’s” advertising campaign titled “Growing Family,” which featured a young family, one of the brand’s fastest growing customer segments.
The company’s continued success is also driving franchise development as Captain D’s most recently signed new franchisee SmitCo D’s Inc. The SmitCo D’s group brings 25 years of restaurant and operations experience and currently owns and operates nine Popeye’s franchises throughout the country. SmitCo D’s will be developing six Captain D’s in northwest Arkansas, with the first scheduled to open in 2016.
“We are excited to welcome SmitCo D’s to the Captain D’s team,” Greifeld adds. “We are confident that their extensive knowledge of the foodservice industry, coupled with our strong brand, will propel them to immediate success in Northwest Arkansas.”
