Captain D’s

Captain D’s traces its origin back to Nashville, TN in 1969 when a man named Raymond Danner opened the first restaurant.  The first restaurant at that time was called “Mr. D’s Seafood and Hamburgers” (Danner). The interesting thing about Danner was that at the time he opened Mr.D’s he was already a franchise owner of Shoney’s. It would remain Mr. D’s until 1974 when the name changed to Captain D’s Seafood as they began to focus on seafood menu items only.

General Restaurant Information

Food Type: Seafood

Restaurant Type: Fast Food

U.S. Locations: 515

States: 25 states, Captain D’s Locations

Company Slogan: Your Seafood Restaurant & The Taste of the Coast

 

Contact Information

Website: captainds.com

Questions: Contact Information

Phone number: 334-567-9643

Email: Contact Form Only

Blog: No

FAQ Page: Frequently Asked Questions

 

Ownership

Who Owns Captain D’s? Sentinel Capital Partners

Headquartered: Nashville, TN

Contact Information: 

Website: sentinelpartners.com

Email/contact page: Sentinel Capital Contact Information

Phone: 212-688-3100

Address: 330 Madison Avenue, 27th Floor, New York, NY 10017

Do They Franchise? Franchise Information

 

What Is It Like To Work At Captain D’s?

Employment Page

3.5/5 or 70%; 878 Reviews (indeed.com)

2.9/5, or 58%; 183 Reviews (glassdoor.com)

 

The History of Captain D’s

Original Location: 2633 Lebanon Road, Donelson (Nashville), TN

Founded: 1969 (Mr. D’s Seafood & Hamburgers), 1974 (Captain D’s)

Founded By: Raymond Danner Sr

Biography Articles:

Hands-On Restaurateur Built Shoney’s on Family-Style Food (wsj.com)

Ray Danner (civicscope.org)

Founder Obituary: Raymond Louis Danner Sr. Obituary

Name Origin: Originally Mr. D’s (Danner) Hamburgers and Seafood, Raymond changed the restaurant name in 1974 to focus on seafood exclusively.

History Page: Company History Page

Current View of Original Location: 2633 Lebanon Road as it is today(link may not work on mobile devices without Google Maps)

Historical Articles: 

What Is Captain D’s (captaindsfranchising.com)

Company History (fundinguniverse.com)

Social Awareness

Charity Focus: Sadly, no resources found

Green | Eco-Friendly: No resources found

Animal Cruelty: No resources found

 

Discounts At Captain D’s

Rewards Program: Reward Program  

Do Kids Eat Free at Captain D’s?

What day do kids eat free? Thursday

Summary: Captain D’s currently offers a kids eat free promotion on Thursdays for children 12 and under.

“Kids ages 12 and under can eat for free with each paying adult (limit 2 kids per each adult entree)” (pennypinchinmom.com)

“Kids eat free here on Thursdays. Up to two kids get a free meal for each paying adult.” (bradsdeals.com)

Does Captain D’s Offer Military Discounts?

Summary: Captain D’s does offer a military discount. Please check with your local franchise for discount information.

“Discount varies, simply ask and have a valid military ID with you.” (militaryconnection.com)

What Does Captain D’s offer for My Birthday!?

Summary: Captain D’s offers a promotional item for your birthday when you are a member of their Reward Program. This free item changes from time to time so check with the details of their reward program. 

Does the chain Offer First Responder Discounts? 

Summary: No resources found

Does Captain D’s Offer Senior Citizen | AARP Discounts?

Summary: Captain D’s does offer a senior discount. Please check with your local franchise for discount information.

“Choice of 8 meals + drink for $4.99 or less- varies by loc. (62+) verified” (theseniorlist.com)

“Various locations offer discounts to customers over 62 on certain days” (aarp.org)

“Discount on select days (usually Sundays and Wednesdays) for seniors 62 and older.” (wisebread.com)

“seniors (62+) can enjoy one of 8 meals including a drink for $4.99 or less at participating restaurants.” (bradsdeals.com)

“Various locations of this casual seafood spot offer senior discounts to diners over 62 on different days of the week – usually Sunday and Wednesday.” (money.usnews.com)

“those who are 62 and older get a choice of eight meals and a drink for $4.99 or less. Varies by location.” (clark.com)

Are There Any Other Discounts or Benefits at Captain D’s?

Summary: Currently, when you join their VIP Rewards program, they are offering the following promotion. 

Register for their VIP Rewards to start earning points every time you visit – and you’ll be eligible for special rewards! Available at participating locations.

 

Amenities

Order Online: No

WiFi Available: Yes

Use Apple Pay: No  

Reservations: No  

Catering: No  

Drive-Thru: Yes 

Open 24 Hours: No  

 

Customer Reviews of Captain D’s

Yelp: 2.95/5 or 59%, 180 reviews sampled

Tripadvisor: 3.60/5 or 72%, 206 reviews sampled

Overall Average: 3.28/5 or 66%, 386 reviews sampled

 

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Food & Nutrition

Menu:  Captain D’s Menu

Kids Menu:  Captain D’s Kids Menu

Secret Menu:  No resources found

Most Popular Menu Item:  Batter-Dipped Fish

Coke or Pepsi: Coke

Does Serve Alcohol: No

Nutritional Information: Captain D’s Nutrition Guide

Vegetarian | Vegan Options: 

Baked Potato, Breadstick (contains wheat), Broccoli, Corn On The Cob, French Fries (contains gluten), Green Beans, Side Salad (mesovegan.wordpress.com)

Baked Potato, Breadstick, Broccoli, Corn On The Cob, French Fries, Green Beans, Side Salad (veganfoodlover.com)

Farm to Table | Organic Options | Clean | Non-GMO: No resources found

Miscellaneous Nutrition Resources: 

Captain D’s Starts the New Year with Expanded Healthy Menu Options (prnewswire.com)

Nutrition Facts & Calorie Information (nutrition-charts.com)

Allergy Information

Allergen Information: Captain D’s Allergen Guide

Gluten Free Options: 

Common Allergens and Sensitivities (allergysafemenus.org)

Gluten-Free Menu (glutenfreeguidehq.com)

“Wild Alaskan Salmon, tilapia, and shrimp scampi” (urbantastebud.com)

Dairy Free Options: No resources found, but the following may be helpful.

Restaurant Guide For Dairy-Free Dining (godairyfree.org)

Peanut Free Options: No resources found, but the following may be helpful.

Food Allergy Guides For Many Chain Restaurants (verywellhealth.com)

Ways to Eliminate Risks of Peanut Allergy When Dining Out (healthguidance.org)

 

Does Captain D’s Have Any Secret Recipes?

Secret Recipes:  

Batter Dipped Fish (copykat.com)

Cole Slaw (copykat.com)

Crunchy Battered Fish (thissillygirlskitchen.com)

Restaurant Style Coleslaw (allrecipes.com)

Did You Know?

Fun Facts: 

The chain and Shoney’s are relatively brother and sister. Raymond Danner owned several Shoney’s franchises before creating the first Mr. D’s in 1969. The two restaurants have been closely related ever since.

Danner was still in charge of Shoney’s when he started Captian D’s (Mr. D’s) in 1969. (source)

They were most likely the first fast-food restaurant to focus on seafood only after rebranding in 1974.

Interesting Articles:

Captain’s Turns its Ship Around (qsrmagazine.com)

Captain D’s (qsrmagazine.com)

 

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Social Media

Followers (as of August 2018) –  

Facebook: 410,879

Twitter: 5,682

Instagram: 3,646

Mobile Apps

Alternatives

Better Options: Coming Soon

Similar Restaurants: Coming Soon

 

In Summary

I went into this open-minded hoping to offset my negative connotation but was disappointed only to verify my thoughts. You could make a case for them if your city had just a few dining options but with so many restaurants today, why would anyone choose Captain D’s?. They are owned by an investment firm (Sentinel Capital Partners) that isn’t interested in serving your family; they serve fried food that most find undesirable and their customer service is mediocre at best based on restaurant reviews. Choose an alternative or stay at home with a movie and some fish sticks.

I hope you found the information on Captain D’s helpful. The more we know and understand about the restaurants we eat at, the better decisions we can make of where and what we should eat. If you found this article helpful, would you please help by sharing this with your friends and family. If there is anything you would like to see about a restaurant that’s not already listed, please leave a comment below, I would love your feedback! You can also email me at anytime backofthemenu @ gmail.com.

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