They hit the drive-thru window for lunch on other days. It s convenient and very economical. The Gentry family eats restaurant meals four or five times a week, and half of those are at Captain D s, he said. The Franklin restaurant is a new building a rebuild where a former Captain D s had burned. The company has updated the menu, adding broiled and baked fish to the fried fish and shrimp staples.
Customers carry their food to tables, but servers come by to refill drinks.
Captain D s is marketing its franchises, but not to just anyone. The plan also includes bringing additional stores into areas with existing stores to make marketing more efficient. One prime identified growth area is Atlanta, which Harris said could handle 25-35 stores. Other areas include Memphis, Knoxville and Chattanooga, as well as markets in Alabama and Mississippi. As Captain D s moves into a growth phase, Shoney s continues in a recovery mode, working on menus and monitoring store performance.