Nashville, Tenn. — Captain D’s LLC, a leading fast-casual seafood restaurant, has hired Steve Bielewicz, Jennifer Benjamin and Jeff White to join the company’s development team.
Bielewicz and Benjamin have been named senior director of franchise development and director of franchise development, respectively, and will be responsible for driving the company’s franchise expansion nationwide. White will serve as the new director of real estate and, alongside Phil Russo the company’s vice president of real estate, will spearhead franchise real estate efforts.
“Captain D’s has experienced immense growth and success over the past few years, and we are thrilled to welcome three exceptional industry veterans to our development team to help us accelerate this momentum in 2016,” says Michael Arrowsmith, chief development officer of Captain D’s. “A huge component of our ongoing success is our talented staff, and their hard work and expertise has continually set Captain D’s apart as the seafood industry leader. Steve, Jennifer and Jeff each bring a wealth of knowledge to the table and we have no doubt they will be tremendous assets to the Captain D’s family.”
As senior director of franchise development, Bielewicz will be responsible for expanding Captain D’s presence in the western region. A franchising industry veteran, Bielewicz has previously worked for franchising and development groups of several major companies including Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, Denny’s, Quiznos and, most recently, Massage Envy, as well as supported corporate development with Eckerd Drug stores.
Prior to joining Captain D’s, Benjamin most recently served as director of franchise development for Huddle House, Inc., where she handled the restaurant’s single- and multi-unit franchising efforts across the Southeast territory and helped drive growth by more than 350%.
In his new role as director of real estate, White will assist franchisees day-to-day in real estate site selection, and develop and implement market planning for the company’s national expansion. With more than 20 years of experience in the real estate industry, White has a proven track record of success with site selection and market development, previously serving as the director of franchise real estate for Little Caesars and, most recently, as the real estate manager of the Krystal Company, where he helped the company expand its presence throughout the Southeast.
With 515 restaurants in 22 states, Nashville, Tenn.-based Captain D’s is a fast-casual seafood leader and Number 1 seafood franchise in America ranked by average unit volume. Captain D’s recently unveiled a new design featuring a vibrant coastal atmosphere and upgraded the dining experience with new plate ware and silverware. For more information, visit www.captainds.com.
SOURCE: Captain D’s