Captain D's facts for kids
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Captain D's in Tallahassee, Florida
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Trade name
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Captain D's |
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Formerly
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Mr. D's Seafood and Hamburgers (1969–1975) |
| Private | |
| Industry | Restaurants Franchising |
| Genre | Fast casual |
| Founded | August 15, 1969 in Donelson, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Founder | Raymond L. Danner, Sr. |
| Headquarters |
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U.S.
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Key people
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Phil Greifeld (President & CEO) Nan Ward (COO) Jeff Wilson (CFO) Bindi Menon (CMO) Brad Reed (CBDO) |
| Revenue |  US$544.43 million (2016) |
| Owner | Centre Partners |
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Number of employees
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6,000 |
Captain D's is a popular American restaurant chain. It's known for its delicious seafood dishes. The company's main office is in Nashville, Tennessee. Captain D's started as "Mr. D's Seafood and Hamburgers" on August 15, 1969. It was founded by Raymond L. Danner Sr. in Donelson, Tennessee. Today, Captain D's has over 500 restaurants across the United States. It is owned by a company called Centre Partners.
Contents
The Story of Captain D's
Mr. D's Seafood and Hamburgers first opened in 1969. Its founder, Raymond L. Danner Sr., also owned Danner Foods and was a KFC restaurant owner. He wanted to open more Shoney's Big Boy Restaurants, but he couldn't expand beyond 11 states in the Southeast.
In 1971, Danner and his business partner, Alex Schoenbaum, combined their companies. They named their new company Shoney’s Big Boy Enterprises. By 1975, Raymond Danner was the president of the company. He announced that Mr. D's Seafood and Hamburgers would change its name to "Captain D's." They also started a plan to open Captain D's restaurants all over the country.
At this time, Captain D's focused mainly on seafood and side dishes. The chain had grown to 32 locations. These restaurants were earning more than $10 million each year. In 1976, Captain D's became part of Shoney's Inc. This happened after Danner and Schoenbaum sold the Big Boy trademark to another company.
Growing the Restaurant Chain
Throughout the 1970s, Captain D's grew very quickly. They started fun programs like the Kids' Birthday Club. They also gave out children's comic books. In the 1980s and 1990s, the company updated its logo and the design of its buildings.
On September 13, 2010, Phil Greifeld became the CEO of Captain D's.
In 2016, Captain D's opened 13 new restaurants. They also made deals to open even more. This growth helped the brand expand into many states. These included Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, and Texas.
Who Owns Captain D's?
Over the years, Captain D's has been owned by different companies.
- In 2005, a company called Sagittarius Brand, Inc. bought Captain D's.
- In 2010, another company, Sun Capital Partners, Inc., bought Captain D's.
- In 2013, Sun Capital Partners Inc. sold Captain D's to Centre Partners Management.
- In 2017, Centre Partners sold the chain to Sentinel Capital Partners.
- In 2022, Sentinel Capital Partners sold Captain D's back to Centre Partners.
What's on the Menu?
Captain D's offers many tasty options. You can find fried fish, shrimp, lobster, and crab. They also have chicken meals, platters, and sandwiches. You can choose to have your fish and shrimp grilled or fried.
Popular Side Dishes and Desserts
For appetizers, they have fried mozzarella sticks and jalapeño poppers. Other choices include clam strips and butterfly shrimp. Their side dishes include coleslaw, French fries, green beans, and okra. You can also get broccoli, baked potato, corn, mac & cheese, and hush puppies. For dessert, they offer cheesecake and funnel cake stix.
In 2019, PepsiCo announced that it would be the only drink supplier for Captain D's. As of 2021, Captain D's restaurants get their food from 60 different suppliers.
How Captain D's Operates
In 2020, Captain D's announced a new restaurant design called the "Express prototype." This smaller building is only 960 square feet. It has only drive-thru and walk-up windows. The first Express unit opened in College Park, Georgia, in 2021.
In 2021, Captain D's also introduced its first double drive-thru. This was in Tupelo, Mississippi.
See also
- List of seafood restaurants
