Captain D’s: The Southern Seafood Giant Going National
Captain D’s continues to dominate the seafood landscape with more than 530 restaurants across 23 states, recently signing its “largest development agreement to date” for 26 new restaurants in St. Louis, Indianapolis, and North Carolina. The Nashville-based chain has ambitious goals to surpass 1,000 units and open between 25 to 40 locations each year. The company is making bold moves into new territories, planning its first New Jersey location this year and first New York location in late 2024, plus five restaurants in Toronto over the next several years.
Standing at more than 540 units as of February 2023, Captain D’s is pushing to hit a grand total of 1,000 units, planning to open at least 25 restaurants annually in just about every state, especially those in the West. Their flexible restaurant formats, including drive-thru only locations known as Captain D’s Express, have helped the brand reach new markets at much lower startup costs.
Pokeworks: The Poke Bowl Revolution
Fast-casual brand Pokéworks opened four new locations in 2024, three in Canada plus Atlanta, and aims to open another nine locations including in Fullerton, Houston, Astoria, Rochester, and Newark during the second half of 2024, with three more Canadian locations planned. The chain plans to open seven new locations in the Boston area alone and is known as the quickest-growing fast-casual poke restaurant in America, currently operating 67 locations across 20 states with international outposts in Taiwan and Canada.
Pokeworks expects to increase its total to more than 85 restaurants by the year’s end, and within the next 30 to 36 months, the brand expects to have more than 120 locations. The original co-founders have returned to active daily operations to drive authentic growth, and the brand was honored as the “Top Poke Franchise” by Startups Magazine in 2022.
Angry Crab Shack: Cajun Chaos Going Coast to Coast
According to Restaurant Business, Angry Crab Shack currently operates 24 units and is most heavily concentrated in Arizona, with plans to reach 75 units in the U.S. over the next 10 years. President Andy Diamond told FranchiseWire that restaurants will open in Arizona and Georgia over the next few months with a goal of having 100 locations open and operating by 2030. In January, Franchise Wire reported that Angry Crab Shack plans to open around 10 new restaurants in 2024.
Angry Crab Shack is loud, messy, and totally fun, with the first location opening in 2013 in Mesa, Arizona, founded by former NFL player Ron Lou, focusing on big bags of seafood boils drenched in spicy Cajun sauces, now expanding to Texas, Nevada, and Colorado. The chain’s flexible menu allows them to add new sauces and modify offerings without changing their core identity.
Shuckin’ Shack: From Beach Bars to National Presence
Shuckin’ Shack started life in 2007 in Carolina Beach, NC, opened its second location in 2012, started considering franchising in 2014, and as of July 2024, boasted 18 restaurants looking to open its nineteenth in Burlington, North Carolina. Five additional restaurants located in Illinois, Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina are slated to open soon. Restaurant Business Online reported that 2022 overall sales were up 18.7% compared to the previous year, with same store sales climbing by an impressive 7%.
The chain offers franchisees training, relatively low initial investment requirements, and helps with site selection, finding great success in secondary markets and residential suburbs without seeking high rent locations. This strategic approach has allowed them to build a solid foundation for sustainable growth across diverse markets.
Island Fin Poké: The COVID Success Story
Island Fin Poké is another seafood chain growing at breakneck speed, founded in 2016, opening its first franchised location in 2019, and by November 2023 had 26 units in operation, 10 of which opened during the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic. The chain’s reputation was further enhanced by being named one of Entrepreneur Magazine’s 2022 top food franchises and featuring on Fast Casual’s 2022 movers and shakers list.
Their ability to thrive during the pandemic demonstrates the resilience of the poke concept and the brand’s operational excellence. The chain’s focus on fresh, healthy ingredients aligned perfectly with changing consumer preferences during the health crisis, positioning them for continued expansion as dining habits evolved.
The Juicy Crab: Bold Flavors, Bigger Markets
The Juicy Crab doesn’t do subtle, focusing on bold sauces, heaping trays of seafood, and eating with your hands, getting started in Georgia and quickly building a fan base across the Southeast, now making moves into New York, Texas, and beyond. The restaurant embraces the messy, interactive dining experience that has become synonymous with seafood boil culture.
If you’ve ever wanted to wear a bib and gloves while devouring crab legs, this place is perfect. Their expansion strategy focuses on bringing authentic Cajun-style seafood boils to markets that have been underserved by this dining format, capitalizing on the growing popularity of hands-on, social dining experiences.
Topsail Steamer: The Take-Home Revolution
Topsail Steamer is a unique seafood chain that does not allow customers to dine in, instead serving premade seafood steam pots for customers to cook and enjoy at home, and thanks to the simple nature and low operating costs of this model, has grown rapidly since it was founded with nine units currently open. Founder Danielle Mahon has partnered with Elite Franchise Capital to open at least 40 new units across the United States, with established restaurateurs requesting opportunities to open franchised restaurants.
One such request led to Topsail Steamer’s first non-beach location in Charlotte during summer 2024, and the brand was recently named in Oprah Winfrey’s The O List: Summer Fun. This innovative take-home model addresses busy lifestyles while providing restaurant-quality seafood experiences at home.
Koibito Poke: Baseball Star’s Franchise Success
Koibito Poke specializes in poke bowls and was founded by former MLB baseball player Todd Stottlemyre in 2018, and just five years later was named one of the country’s top new and emerging franchises by Entrepreneur Magazine, announcing the opening of a Charlotte-based restaurant as a training base and springboard for planned expansion along the Eastern seaboard. At the time of writing, Koibito Poke boasts 11 restaurants, attracting potential franchise owners by offering very low investment costs, with the entire investment typically coming in below $400,000.
This makes it an accessible option for franchisees who don’t have access to millions but still want to enter the growing poke market. The brand’s founder brings athletic discipline and business acumen to the franchise model, creating systems that support rapid but sustainable growth.
The Wee Chippy: British Fish & Chips Goes American
The Wee Chippy was launched by Glaswegian Joe Gorrie in Venice Beach, California in 2013, originally serving just fries before adding fish to the menu in 2015, and started franchising in 2023, signing a 30 unit development deal with The Tastebuds Group with sites slated to open in Texas, Florida, Colorado, and Tennessee. Such rapid growth has been possible thanks to relatively low startup costs, with new locations as small as 150 square feet needing only two fryers, a freezer, and a fridge, with minimum estimated opening costs including franchise fee of $132,000.
As Gorrie told SeafoodSource, they are filling an opening in the market since fish and chips is a universally loved dish, yet in the U.S. there is no known successful fish-and-chips brand. This represents a massive untapped opportunity in the American market for authentic British-style fish and chips.
California Fish Grill: Sustainable Seafood Expansion
West coast chain California Fish Grill prides itself on offering responsibly sourced seafood, highlighting how and where it sources its menu offerings, and at 59 locations across Arizona, California, and Nevada, the restaurant shows no signs of slowing down. The brand has built its reputation on transparency and sustainability, two factors increasingly important to modern consumers.
Their commitment to responsible sourcing sets them apart in a market where consumers are becoming more conscious about environmental impact. With their strong foothold in the Southwest, the chain is well-positioned to expand into adjacent markets where sustainable dining options are in high demand.
Hook & Reel: Cajun Classics Going National
New York City-based Cajun concept Hook & Reel didn’t open any restaurants but sales were up by 10.1% at its 68 locations. Known for its cajun boils and Po’ Boys, Hook & Reel launched in Maryland back in 2013 and has been on a steady climb ever since. Despite not expanding their physical footprint in the most recent reporting period, their impressive same-store sales growth indicates strong demand and operational efficiency.
This performance suggests the brand is perfectly positioned for aggressive expansion once they’re ready to add locations. Their focus on authentic Cajun flavors and the popular seafood boil format places them at the center of current dining trends.
Cousins Maine Lobster: From Food Truck to Franchise Empire
Cousins Maine Lobster started as a food truck in Los Angeles in 2012 by cousins Sabin Lomac and Jim Tselikis who are actually from Maine, and after landing a deal on Shark Tank the brand took off, now having over 60 locations around the U.S. including both trucks and storefronts, with lobster rolls as the main draw plus clam chowder and tacos.
Their Shark Tank success story demonstrates the power of authentic products combined with smart marketing and franchise systems. The brand’s dual format of food trucks and traditional restaurants provides flexibility in different markets and allows them to test new locations with lower initial investment through the mobile format.
