Captain D's unveils smaller format in Whitehall

Taijuan Moorman, The Columbus Dispatch
·2 min read

Captain D's has doubled down on Columbus, this time with a new look.

On Monday, the national seafood restaurant chain opened a new location at 3588 E. Main St. in Whitehall, the second Captain D's in the country without a dining room and with a much smaller footprint.

The restaurant is 970 square feet, compared with the traditional 2,000 square feet, and only features a drive-thru and walk-up window.

"This prototype was created based on extensive guest feedback and a desire to develop restaurant footprints that are well-suited to the market," said Brad Reed, chief development officer of Captain D's, in a prepared statement. "Space comes at a premium in many metropolitan areas like Columbus, and this smaller model gives us a lot of flexibility."

The "Express" design debuted in the Atlanta area in August, making Whitehall the second Captain D's location and first company-owned location with the new small design. The Whitehall location is the chain's 19th Ohio location and among more than 540 locations nationwide. The Nashville-based operation plans to open 14 locations this year, including in Ohio, Florida, Georgia, Texas and Tennessee.

With the new format comes a revamped kitchen designed for quicker cook times and faster drive-thru times, as well as a streamlined menu.

Earlier this year, Columbus-based restaurant Wendy's announced its own redesign focused heavily on mobile and delivery orders. And on the retail side, brands like Victoria's Secret and Express have shown interest in smaller and non-traditional formats.

"Smaller footprints are at the forefront of growth now,” Reed said. "Off-premise has always been a big part of our business, and that has only grown stronger. New and existing franchisees are attracted to the lower costs and ability to develop in population-dense metropolitan areas with higher levels of foot traffic."

tmoorman@dispatch.com

@TaijuanNichole

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Captain D's opens new format in Whitehall