From the filings

HQ + multi-unit

Captain D's

Quick service restaurant

Captain D's has required new franchisees since February 2004 to purchase, install, and use the point-of-sale and computer-based training systems the franchisor designates, under a Computer Software and Hardware Agreement attached to the FDD. Across 518 locations — 229 franchised, 289 company-owned — the buying decision runs through headquarters for new locations, with a base of 22 multi-unit operators giving software vendors a second layer of scale to sell into.

For software vendors selling into US franchise brands.

FDD key facts2026

FDD year	2026
Franchise term	20 years
AUV (Item 19)	$1.08M
Royalty	4.5% component; full terms unconfirmed
Ad fund	1%
Addressable units	518
Decision level	HQ + multi-unit
Tech landscape	—
Investment range	$662K–$1.86M
Procurement	Approved supplier
Tech fee	Up to $236/mo
Company-owned units	289

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Read the full FDD

Live signals

Total units

518

229 franchised

Franchised outlet growth

-3.376%

Item 20, last two year-ends

AUV

$1.08M

Item 19, 2025

Royalty

4.5% component; full terms unconfirmed

percentage component

Ad fund

percentage component

Initial fee

$35K

per unit

Investment range

$662K–$1.86M

all-in, Item 7

Procurement

Approved supplier

from the filing

Non-compete

2 years

from the filing

Item 19

Claims

from the filing

Ordinary royalty terms

4.5% component; full terms unconfirmed

Complete royalty terms are not confirmed for the selected filing.

Recorded percentage components

These are recorded percentage components. Each has its own base and conditions; the chart does not state the total payment or confirm ad-fund completeness.

1recorded components (FY2026)

15% reference

Ad fund 1%

Mandated & recommended tech

The systems vendors compete with

Systems named in Item 11 of this filing. None is recorded as mandated here, which is not the same as the filing mandating nothing. Read Item 11 before treating the category as open.

QSR AutomationsQSR Automations

Industry softwareItem 11

XpientXpient

POSItem 11

We will provide you with support services for both systems. The annual cost of our support services will equal approximately $2,832. That amount includes all necessary maintenance, repairs, upgrades and updates to our proprietary software. You must pay the costs of maintaining, repairing and upgrading your computer equipment. Your annual equipment maintenance, repair and upgrading costs will vary depending on your specific needs. We currently do not expect that you will incur any additional costs with regard to the maintenance, repairs, upgrades or updates to the xpient Solutions, LLC point-of-sale software, the QSR Automations, Inc. Kitchen Display System software, or the Microsoft Corp. Windows operating system software. We will have independent access to all of the data collected by your point-of-sale system and will have the right to access that data in order to monitor the operations and performance of your Captain D’s restaurants. We will keep that data confidential and not disclose any of it to any person other than our employees, officers or directors (or equivalent), except (1) pursuant to your written consent, (2) to the extent necessary to comply with any applicable law, subpoena or other legal process, or (3) to the extent reasonably related to the promotion of our business and, then, only to persons with a need to receive the data and who agree to keep the data strictly confidential.

Franchisor behaviours

What the franchisor requires

24 requirements the franchisor states in this filing, each in its own words; 2 explicit no's; 8 questions the text does not settle, which is not a no.

Accounting

Must the franchisee use an accounting or bookkeeping system designated or approved by the franchisor?

Yes

Item 11

With few exceptions, new Captain D’s franchisees since February 1, 2004, must purchase, install, maintain and use the point-of-sale and computer-based training systems that we require.

Does the franchisor have direct or independent electronic access to the franchisee's financial, sales or customer records?

Yes

Item 11

We will have independent access to all of the data collected by your point-of-sale system and will have the right to access that data in order to monitor the operations and performance of your Captain D’s restaurants.

Must the franchisee submit periodic financial statements (monthly, quarterly or annual) to the franchisor?

Yes

Franchise agreement

Every Monday morning, or at such other time as the Franchisor shall request, the Franchisee shall report the previous week’s gross sales to the Franchisor and shall furnish to the Franchisor, at the Franchisor’s request, profit and loss statements for the restaurant for each period, showing income and expenses for…

How the franchisor buys

Is the franchisor or an affiliate itself a supplier of required products, services or systems?

Yes

Item 8

We and our affiliate, Captain D’s Equipment, LLC, currently serve as approved suppliers of restaurant equipment and software for Captain D’s franchisees.

Is there a franchisee advisory council, association or committee?

Yes

Item 11

We have established a Marketing Advisory Council comprised of five franchisee representatives.

Does the franchisor reserve the right to change designated suppliers or systems at any time?

Yes

Franchise agreement

From time to time, the Franchisor may change or modify the Captain D’s System, including (without limitation) the adoption and use of new or modified trade names, trademarks, service marks or copyrighted materials.

How much revenue did the franchisor and its affiliates earn from franchisee purchases in the last fiscal year?

0.8

Item 8

During our last fiscal year ended December 28, 2025, we received $0.8 million (0.3% of our total consolidated revenues of $308.7 million) from the sale of equipment and related software licenses to our franchisees (directly from us and through our subsidiary, Captain D’s Equipment, LLC).

Does the franchisor or an affiliate receive rebates, commissions or other revenue from designated or approved suppliers?

Yes

Item 8

During our fiscal year ended December 28, 2025, we received payments (or the benefit of payments) from one supplier based on purchases by our franchisees equal to 4.4% of the purchases involved.

Item 8 gives this proportion in one of two shapes: separate percentages for establishing the business and for operating it, or one figure covering "establishing and operating" together. Where they are separate, answer with the operating percentage; where the passage gives only the combined figure, answer with that. What percentage of the franchisee's purchases must come from designated or approved suppliers?

Item 8

approximately 35% of your total purchases in connection with the operation of your restaurant.

Does the franchisor charge a fee to evaluate a proposed supplier?

Yes

Franchise agreement

The Franchisor may charge fees and negotiate direct payments from the above-referenced suppliers and distributors as a condition to designating them as an approved supplier or distributor.

Can a franchisee propose a new supplier for the franchisor's approval?

Yes

Item 8

If you want to add a supplier to our list of exclusive approved suppliers, you must first submit information, specifications and/or samples sufficient for our determination whether the item complies with our system standards and the supplier meets our approved supplier criteria

Franchise management

Does the franchisor conduct periodic inspections, audits or evaluations of the franchised business?

Yes

Franchise agreement

The Franchisor and its duly authorized representatives shall have the right, if they so elect, to enter the facilities of the Franchisee and inspect the same at all reasonable times to ensure that the Franchisee is complying with such standards, and the Franchisor and its duly authorized representatives shall have…

Can the franchisor change the operations manual and brand standards unilaterally?

Yes

Franchise agreement

The Franchisor may exercise the foregoing right at any time during the term of this Agreement but may not require substantial modifications of the improvements (a) within five years after the restaurant’s opening date, (b) more than once every five years, or (c) costing more than 15% of the average annual gross sales…

Must the franchisor approve the franchisee's site or location before opening?

Yes

Item 11

We must accept the location before you sign the Franchise Agreement.

Marketing

Is the franchisee required to spend a minimum amount on local advertising or marketing, as a percentage of sales or a fixed amount?

Yes

Item 11

you must spend a reasonable amount for local marketing of your Captain D’s restaurant each year, subject to a minimum expenditure of at least 2.00% of your restaurant’s gross sales.

Must the franchisee participate in a regional advertising cooperative when one exists?

Yes

Item 11

You must participate in any local, regional and national advertising cooperatives that we may establish from time to time and in the local, regional and national advertising programs that we may designate from time to time.

Operations

Must the franchisee buy products from a designated distributor?

Yes

Item 8

All Captain D’s franchisees must purchase virtually all of their food and supplies from McLane Foodservice Distribution, Inc. or Bassham Wholesale Egg Company, Inc.

Must equipment be purchased from designated or approved suppliers?

Yes

Item 8

With few exceptions, all new Captain D’s franchisees since February 1, 2004, must purchase their point-of-sale, back office, and computer- based training equipment and software from us pursuant to the terms of the Computer Software and Hardware Agreement attached as Exhibit H to this Disclosure Document.

Payments

Must the franchisee participate in a gift card program?

Yes

Item 8

All Captain D’s franchisees must participate in the sale and redemption of Captain D’s gift cards and must comply with the terms and conditions of Captain D’s agreement with its approved gift card distributors.

People

Does the franchisor require minimum staffing levels or specific roles?

Yes

Franchise agreement

At all times, the Franchisee must employ at least three managers at the franchised Captain D’s restaurant who have completed satisfactorily the management training programs specified by the Franchisor or comparable training programs approved in advance by the Franchisor in its sole discretion.

Must employees wear uniforms specified by the franchisor?

Yes

Franchise agreement

The Franchisee shall require all employees in the restaurant to wear uniforms conforming to such specifications as to color, design, etc., as the Franchisor may from time to time reasonably designate.

Point of sale

Must the franchisee use a specific point-of-sale system designated or approved by the franchisor?

Yes

Item 8

Does the franchisor have independent access to the data in the franchisee's POS or computer system?

Yes

Item 11

Training

Can the franchisor charge the franchisee for additional, refresher or remedial training?

Yes

Item 11

For additional support and training beyond that, we may charge you for some or all of our costs for that training.

The filing answers no to 2 questions

Is the franchisee prohibited from operating its own website or social media accounts, or required to use pages the franchisor provides?Item 11
Is a minimum grand opening advertising spend required?Item 11

The vendor opportunity at Captain D's

Captain D's runs 518 locations in the quick-service segment — 229 franchised, 289 company-owned — under a 20-year initial term. Item 19 reports a figure of $1,082,533 for Comparable Restaurants, its term for free-standing locations open continuously through the fiscal year ended December 28, 2025.

Who controls software purchasing

Item 2 names Philip M. Greifeld as President and Chief Executive Officer and Brad Reed as Vice President and Chief Development Officer, alongside Tim Stobbie as Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. The operator base is more concentrated than most: 82 mapped operators run roughly 227 units, 22 of them multi-unit operators, including one with 25 or more locations — Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, and Texas hold the largest clusters.

Tech named in the FDD, and what is actually required

With few exceptions, Captain D's has required new franchisees since February 1, 2004 to purchase, install, maintain, and use the point-of-sale and computer-based training systems the franchisor requires, under a Computer Software and Hardware Agreement attached to the FDD as Exhibit H. Franchisees must also implement every modification, upgrade, and update the franchisor requires, at their own cost. The required system runs xpient Solutions point-of-sale software, QSR Automations Kitchen Display System software, and Microsoft Windows.

Procurement, renewals, and timing

Captain D's runs an approved-supplier list: point-of-sale, back office, and computer-based training equipment and software must come from Captain D's for most new franchisees since 2004 (with an exception for the northeast US), and its affiliate, Captain D's Equipment, LLC, is an approved supplier of restaurant equipment. Food and supplies must come from McLane Foodservice Distribution or Bassham Wholesale Egg Company; other goods can come from any supplier meeting the franchisor's standards, and franchisees may propose new suppliers for approval. The initial term is 20 years, with one additional 20-year renewal available to franchisees in good standing who sign a new agreement, pay a renewal fee, and — if required — remodel and complete additional training. Franchised outlets fell 3.4% year over year, and Item 19 of the FDD makes a financial performance representation.

How to read the Captain D's FDD

The embedded PDF viewer below holds Captain D's 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document in full. Talk to FranCloud for a ranked list of franchise systems that match this profile.

Ordinary royalty terms

Complete royalty terms are not confirmed.

Questions vendors ask

Captain D's, answered from the filing

Philip M. Greifeld serves as President and Chief Executive Officer, with Brad Reed as Chief Development Officer overseeing new-unit standards and Sean McAnally as Vice President of Information Services and Chief Information Officer — the roles most tied to the technology requirements new franchisees must meet.

New franchisees since February 2004 must purchase Captain D's designated point-of-sale and computer-based training equipment and software, per a Computer Software and Hardware Agreement in the FDD. That system runs xpient Solutions point-of-sale software, QSR Automations Kitchen Display System software, and Microsoft Windows.

518 total locations in the quick-service segment, 229 franchised and 289 company-owned.

An approved-supplier list. Point-of-sale, back office, and computer-based training equipment and software must come from Captain D's for most new franchisees since 2004; food and supplies come from McLane Foodservice Distribution or Bassham Wholesale Egg Company; other items can come from any supplier meeting the franchisor's specifications, and franchisees may propose additions to the list.

The initial term runs 20 years, with a single 20-year renewal available to franchisees in good standing who sign a new agreement, pay a renewal fee, and complete any required remodel — the renewal point is the natural moment to revisit a vendor relationship.

The embedded PDF viewer below holds Captain D's 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document.

Source

Read the filing itself

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The brands you can actually sell into, from the filings.

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Operator footprint

Who runs the locations

82 operators run 227 mapped locations. 22 of them are multi-unit. Aggregate counts from the filing; no names.

Operators by units owned

Single-unit60

2–9 units18

10–24 units3

25+ units1

Top states by locations

GA	39
TN	38
KY	20
VA	19
TX	19

Ownership

The portfolio behind Captain D's

Ownership: captain d s intermediate holding.

Related Quick service restaurant brands

Primary franchise filings · updated September 2026. Read the original filing for definitions, conditions, and qualifications.