Captain D’s Will Soon Sail Into New York

Fast-casual seafood restaurant chain Captain D’s (Nashville) has signed its first franchise development agreement for the greater New York area. The pact will bring three Captain D’s to the city led by franchisees Kelly Moughal and Muhammad Saleem, who introduced the Checkers brand to Manhattan and own multiple Subway and Little Caesars locations throughout the state.

“Captain D’s is thrilled to enter the greater New York City market, and we could not have found a better franchising team to do that with,” said Chief Development Officer Brad Reed. “Kelly and Muhammad have built an impressive portfolio of businesses and real estate throughout New York. Experts at growing high-volume restaurants, they already pioneered one brand’s entrance into Manhattan. Their in-depth knowledge of the market and connections to real estate developers will serve them and Captain D’s very well.”

Said Moughal: “With its unique proposition in seafood, Captain D’s is the perfect complement to our current portfolio. Muhammad and I were also attracted to the brand’s strong unit economics and the fact that this company team has skin in the game with over half of their restaurants company-owned.”

Sites are currently being considered in Manhattan and Long Island, with the first location expected to open in late 2024. The design of the New York City-area Captain D’s will be customized for each site’s considerations and will cater to the demands of an urban market with limited space and increased foot traffic.

Founded in 1969, Captain D’s now has more than 530 restaurants in 23 states.