Captain D's
Food & Beverage · Quick-Service Restaurants
- Active units
- 229
- Royalty
- 4.5%
Franchised, year-end 2025
of weekly Net Sales
About Captain D's
Captain D's is a renowned seafood brand that offers a wide variety of delicious and affordable seafood options. With a commitment to quality, they serve whole fillets of fish, ensuring that every bite is flavorful and satisfying. Their menu features family meals, perfect for feeding the entire family, as well as fish favorites like hand-battered dipped fish and premium hand-breaded fish meals. For those looking for a healthier option, Captain D's also offers grilled fish fillets with a choice of Blackened, Lemon Pepper, or Original Seasoning. One of the highlights of their menu is the new Garlic & Herb Shrimp, available in a sampler or as part of a 15-piece meal. Captain D's understands the importance of convenience, which is why they offer an app for ordering ahead and skipping the line. Gift cards are also available, allowing you to treat your loved ones to the premium seafood experience that Captain D's is known for. Join Captain D's and indulge in their wave of flavor today!.
Key terms
- Franchise fee
$35k
- Development Incentive Program
For Development Agreements signed before May 1, 2028: Franchise Fee per unit based on commitment: 1–2 $35,000; 3–5 $25,000; 6–10 $21,000; 11–15 $19,000; 16–20 $17,500.
- Brand fund
1.0% of Net Sales
- Local advertising
2.0% of Net Sales
- Footprint
1,500 – 2,400 sq ft
- Development Fee
$18k
- Veteran discount
50.0% off franchise fee — Veterans pay one-half of the standard Franchise Fee for the first restaurant.
Brand Percentile Rankings
Rankings compare brands in the same operating year. Fee and investment figures come from the FDD (2026 filing).
Growth
- Total locations229
Franchised units open at year-end
- New openings5
Gross new units opened during the calendar year
- 1-year unit growth rate-3.4%
Net unit growth versus prior year
- 3-year unit CAGR0.4%
Compound annual growth rate of unit count over the trailing 3 years
- Unit growth ratio0.4×
Cumulative opens / closures through year-end
Unit economics
- Annual unit volume (Median)—
Per FDD Item 19 disclosure
- Annual unit volume (25th percentile)—
Per FDD Item 19 disclosure
- Annual unit volume (75th percentile)—
Per FDD Item 19 disclosure
- 1-year Median AUV growth rate—
Year-over-year change in median AUV
- Store-level EBITDA Margin—
Median unit-level EBITDA / AUV
Investment profile
- Estimated initial investment$1.3M
Midpoint of estimated initial investment range
↓ Lower is better - Time to open273 months
Midpoint of average time from agreement to opening
↓ Lower is better - Royalty rate4.5%
Percent of net sales paid to the franchisor
↓ Lower is better - Sales-to-investment ratio—
Median AUV / estimated initial investment midpoint
- Cash-on-cash returns—
Median unit-level EBITDA / estimated initial investment midpoint. Steady-state estimate; year 1 returns will be lower as the unit ramps to median volumes.
Franchisee healthLocked
- Unit closure ratio
- Transfer vs. closure ratio
- Percent multi-unit franchisees
- Litigation rate
- EBITDA multiple on sales & transfers
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Location footprint
Showing 241 of 336 mapped locations
Sources
Financial and operating figures are sourced from the brand's Franchise Disclosure Documents. Brand percentile rankings are based on comparisons to other brands that include the same metrics in their Franchise Disclosure Documents.