CAPTAIN D'S SEAFOOD COMPLETES FIRST-EVER FRANCHISE AGREEMENT IN DETROIT; DEAL MARKS CHAIN'S INITIAL EXPANSION INTO MICHIGAN

Ahoy, Detroit! Captain D's Seafood announced today that it has signed a new Franchise agreement that will bring the Nashville-based Restaurant chain into Detroit for the first time. The initial three-store agreement in the market is with the Alpha Group, a team of prominent local business and political leaders. Spearheading the group is Paul Hubbard, a Captain D's franchisee who is also developing eight new stores in the Toledo market.

"As a company that is committed to providing Franchise Opportunities for minority entrepreneurs, we are really excited to be able to put this deal together with The Alpha Group," says Mike Pearce, vice president of franchise development for Captain D's. " We believe Detroit is a great market for Captain D's because consumers in the area are really underserved in terms of quick-casual seafood restaurants and with his many years of operating experience, we feel that Paul will have no trouble carving out his niche in Detroit .

"With a new prototype building and a re-emerging brand, Captain D's is a very attractive franchise opportunity, and we are excited to be a part of the chain's first push into the upper Midwest ," says Captain D's franchisee Paul Hubbard. "We know there is a demand in the marketplace for an alternative to traditional fast-food locations, and we feel that Captain D's is the right concept to meet that demand."

As The Alpha Group begins to develop Captain D's locations in Detroit , it will be adding numerous jobs to the city's economy. The Alpha Group is also working in conjunction with one of the largest Baptist churches in Detroit , the Hartford Baptist Church .

The seafood chain is continuing to look for other potential franchisees who would be interested in opening additional Captain D's locations in Detroit and other cities in the upper Midwest . Primarily, Captain D's is in search of multi-concept/multi-unit franchise operators that are both well capitalized and passionate about the Captain D's brand.

A Side of Southern Hospitality

Captain D's prides itself on offering its customers great seafood at reasonable prices in a relaxed environment, all with a big side of southern hospitality. Each Captain D's restaurant serves a seafood menu centered around the company's signature fried fish, which is hand-cut, hand-battered and made to order to ensure freshness. The restaurants also offer premium-quality baked or broiled fish, as well as shrimp, chicken and home-style side dishes.

Each of the Detroit locations will feature the new interior and exterior prototype look for Captain D's that is being implemented across the 580-unit chain. The design includes:

- The chain's fast-casual look which recreates the allure of a dockside seafood shack featuring naturally aged woods, hanging steel lights and a galvanized steel awning suspended over a portion of the dining room. - A smaller unit design that offers significant savings in land, building and equipment costs.

- An open kitchen with T-Line operation that allows managers to observe the dining room and customers to see the freshness of the cooking process.

- A Fast Track drive-thru timing system that in testing has cut drive-thru times at Captain D's locations.

Record store revenues over the past two years has helped spur the aggressive company and franchise development and growth for Captain D's.

About Captain D's

Captain D's Seafood is a pioneer and leader in the fast-casual dining category. The company offers its customers great seafood at reasonable prices in a relaxed environment that embodies the fun and romance of dockside seafood shacks.

Each Captain D's Seafood restaurant serves a seafood menu centered around the company's signature fried fish, which is hand-cut, hand-battered and made to order to ensure freshness. The restaurants also offer premium-quality baked and broiled fish, as well as shrimp, chicken and home-style side dishes.

Inside, the restaurants feature naturally aged woods, an embossed tin ceiling, hanging steel lights and a galvanized steel awning over the dining room, as well as nautical artifacts and local navigational charts, giving them a relaxed, coastal style.

Headquartered in Nashville , Tenn. , Captain D's Seafood owns, operates and Franchises more than 580 restaurants in 24 states. The first store was opened in Donelson , Tenn. , in 1969 as Mr. D's. The company later changed its name to Captain D's Seafood and became Captain D's, LLC, in August 2002.