Captain D's Plans to Open 26 New Restaurants

America is about to be dotted with even more seafood restaurants. Amid ongoing expansion, fast-casual seafood chain Captain D's announced plans to open 26 new restaurants in three markets.

As part of a recently signed franchise development agreement, the Nashville-based chain will open these new locations in St. Louis, Indianapolis, and North Carolina over the next several years. This marks the chain's "largest development agreement to date," according to Brad Reed, chief development officer of Captain D's, per QSR Magazine.

Franchisees Keith Johnson and Kevin Davis of Amazing Food Concepts will lead these new openings. Johnson and Davis acquired and now operate 15 Captain D's locations in Illinois and the St. Louis area. The restaurant operators have opened more than 200 fast-food restaurants between the two of them. Some of these chains include Dunkin', Papa Johns, and Popeyes.

"We are pleased to welcome Keith and Kevin to the Captain D's team. They have a proven history of success across their prior endeavors and are sure to be an asset to our brand as we grow throughout new and existing markets," Reed said in a statement.

Captain D's restaurant portfolio includes more than 530 restaurants across 23 states. The chain stands as the top seafood franchise in the U.S. ranked by average unit volume.

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In January, Captain D's announced that it signed its first franchise development agreement in Canada for the opening of five restaurants in the greater Toronto metropolitan area. The chain plans to open these locations over the next several years.

Before this, Captain D's inked several other agreements for restaurants in New York, New Jersey, and Georgia. The chain, which doesn't currently have a presence in New York or New Jersey, plans to open one New Jersey location in 2024 and the first of three New York locations in late 2024. Captain D's aims to open the first of its three new Georgia locations this year, as well.

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Captain D's isn't the only fast-casual chain with notable expansion plans. Last week, Fuzzy's Taco Shop announced that it will open 40 new locations over the next eight years. This expansion will include 15 new locations in Arizona and 25 new locations in the Houston, Texas area.