Captain D’s (Nashville), a fast-casual seafood restaurant, has signed its first-ever franchise development agreement in Canada. Ontario-based entrepreneurs Ali Saeed and Mudassir Choudri will bring five Captain D’s restaurants to the Toronto market over the next several years.
The brand, which has its roots in the Southeastern United States, has been expanding rapidly with multiple franchise development agreements throughout 2023 as far West as Utah and into the Northern states of New York and New Jersey. Captain D’s also has aggressive plans for growth throughout Canada.
“Ali and Mudassir are ideal franchise owners to help us introduce this distinct brand within the Ontario province,” said Brad Reed, chief development officer of Captain D’s. “We look forward to expanding our footprint with them and throughout the country, knowing that our flexible prototypes and expertise in converting existing properties resonate with entrepreneurs looking to add a proven quick-service concept to their portfolio.”
Saeed and Choudri own and operate groups of Shell gas stations in Ontario.
Captain D’s prototypes feature double drive-thrus, small footprints and cost-effective conversion opportunities. In addition to the Canada agreement, recent development deals with new franchisees include a single-unit agreement in New Jersey and multi-unit agreements in New York and Georgia.
Overall, Captain D’s has 530-plus restaurants in 23 states.