Captain D’s Launching New ‘Express’ Prototype With College Park Restaurant

Existing multi-unit franchisee Anil Dossani is opening the first location with an agreement to develop three in the Atlanta-area

Fast-casual seafood restaurant Captain D’s Wednesday announced the launch of a new restaurant prototype called “Express,” featuring a significantly smaller footprint than its traditional models. “The unveiling of this newest prototype reemphasizes the brand’s longstanding commitment to innovation and unwavering dedication to its franchisees,” according to the announcement. Captain D’s Express is launching with its first-ever location in College Park in mid-2021. There isn’t an exact location yet, a company spokesperson told What Now Atlanta in an email.

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Captain D’s Express is designed to fit within 0.35 to 0.5-acre land parcels in metropolitan areas with high population densities. Compared to the brand’s standard 44-seat, 1,964-square-foot model, Express features an average footprint of 960 square feet and comes complete with a drive-thru and walk-up windows for ordering and picking up; there are no indoor dining rooms. Because of its compact footprint, Express models can reduce start-up costs for franchisees by as much as 32 percent.

The first Captain D’s Express will be owned and operated by existing multi-unit franchisee, Anil Dossani. As part of his franchise agreement signed earlier this year, Dossani will develop two more Express units in the Atlanta metro area in the coming years. Dossani has been a Captain D’s franchisee since 2018 and has two existing locations in Acworth and Norcross. Prior to joining the brand, he and his business partner, Ali Dossani, were owners and operators of Steak ‘n Shake franchises.

“Since joining Captain D’s only two years ago, Ali and I have been eager to continue growing with the brand given the tremendous success we’ve achieved with our first two locations that we opened within a year of each other,” Dossani said in the announcement. “When we learned that there was an opportunity to bring the brand into the metro area of Atlanta and grow our market share, we jumped at the chance. Captain D’s has been an incredible franchisor, providing us with unparalleled support since we signed our first agreement; we couldn’t be more thrilled to further develop our portfolio and bring the first Express locations to the greater Atlanta area.”

Phil Russo, vice president of real estate for Captain D’s, said that the Express concept was in the works “long before” the pandemic and subsequent social distancing mandates. “We were intently listening to our guests and closely following evolving real estate trends, all which led to the development of our Express prototype,” Russo said. “Pre-COVID-19, 70 percent of our sales were generated by off-premises dining — 50 percent drive-thru and 20 percent takeout — and those numbers have held strong over the past several months, only reinforcing the need and viability of Express’ design. In the months and years that lie ahead and the inevitable changes to come, we’re proud to offer both existing and prospective franchisees another flexible prototype option to help meet their individual needs, as well as grow our presence in untapped markets.”

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Floor plan: Official
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Rendering: Official
Caleb J. Spivak

Caleb J. Spivak

Caleb J. Spivak

Caleb J. Spivak

2 Responses

  1. I wonder what’s going to happen to the existing Captain D’s in College Park. That’s obviously owned by a different franchisee and I’d think there’s a conflict of interest.

    1. . I think they’re far enough apart where it will do well I eat at the College Park location on Main Street my only choice where I live is Main Street or driving out to Union City so this is a perfect go between

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