Captain D's Closes First Quarter with 4.94 Percent Increase in System-wide Sales

-- Ongoing brand innovation and new grilled items drive brand's franchise growth --

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Apr 23, 2015, 09:44 ET

NASHVILLE, Tenn., April 23, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Captain D's LLC, the leading fast casual seafood restaurant, announced today 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," said Phil Greifeld, Captain D's chief executive officer. "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," added Greifeld. "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."

With more than 510 restaurants in 26 states, Captain D's is the fast-casual seafood leader and number one seafood franchise in America ranked by average unit volume. Captain D's recently unveiled a new design featuring a vibrant coastal atmosphere and upgraded the dining experience with new plate ware and silverware. Captain D's new menu, featuring several new items, is brought to life with upgraded menu boards and also features several new kid's meal offerings. 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.

For more information, please visit www.captainds.com.

ABOUT CAPTAIN D'S
Headquartered in Nashville, Tenn., Captain D's has 512 restaurants in 26 states, plus military bases around the world. Captain D's is the nation's leading fast casual seafood restaurant and was named the #1 seafood chain in the QSR 50, ranked by AUV. Founded in 1969, Captain D's has been offering its customers high-quality seafood at reasonable prices in a welcoming atmosphere for more than 45 years. Captain D's serves a widely variety of seafood that includes freshly prepared entrees and the company's signature hand-battered fish, which is cooked to order to ensure freshness. The restaurants also offer premium-quality, grilled fish, as well as shrimp, chicken, shrimp and beef kabobs, hushpuppies, desserts and freshly brewed, Southern-style sweet tea, a Captain D's favorite. For more information, please visit www.captainds.com.

Contact:
Amanda Bortzfield
Fish Consulting
212-794-5293
[email protected]

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SOURCE Captain D's