After enjoying success in Singapore, Long John Silver’s has expanded into Indonesia and plans further growth in Southeast Asia.
In late May, Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.A.-based LJS opened its first restaurant in Indonesia in Gading Serpong, a township just west of Jakarta, the country’s capital. The flagship eatery “combines the fan-favorite Long John Silver’s menu with local flair for a unique seafood experience,” the company stated in a press release.
“At Long John Silver’s, we believe the unique seafood experience from the coasts should be accessible to everyone from sea to mouthwatering sea," LJS Brand President Nate Fowler told SeafoodSource. “We want to meet the demand of the newly booming fast-food industry in Indonesia.”
The design of the new restaurant pays homage to LJS’s history while incorporating localized design elements, Fowler said. The two-level building – a first for the brand globally – features a free-standing drive-thru and 170 seats, as well as a 3D statue of LJS’s namesake mascot.
The restaurant will feature “all the quality seafood, service, and value customers expect from Long John Silver’s,” it said.
“[We’re] working with international partners to uphold core menu offerings and add localized menu options,” the company said.
PT Cipta Putra Nusantara, a privately-owned Indonesian company acting as the franchise owner, is well-versed in bringing unique fast-food experiences to the region and will honor Long John Silver’s mission of “making great-tasting, sustainably caught seafood accessible to all,” the company said.
LJS Indonesia will offer spicy battered fish, chicken, shrimp, and fried calamari – becoming the company’s only restaurant to carry that item. LJS Indonesia sources from Jakarta-based Japfa Ltd.
The restaurant chain plans to open a second franchised location in Indonesia in the fourth quarter of 2023, and is exploring locations for a third restaurant. Eventually, it plans to open more than 50 restaurants nationwide.
The company, which operates 579 restaurants in 37 U.S. states, now operates 19 restaurants in Singapore, where its supplier is Song Khla, Thailand-based Kingfisher Holdings.
“We have seen great success establishing brand recognition and customer satisfaction in Singapore, which encouraged us to look at neighboring markets for expansion opportunities,” Fowler said.
LJS has additional franchising interest in several other Southeast Asian countries, according to Fowler.
Meanwhile, Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.A.-based Captain D’s – LJS’s primary competitor in the quick-service seafood restaurant sector – which has 540 units across 23 U.S. states, aims to expand its footprint to more than 1,000 units in the future, Captain D’s Chief Development Officer Brad Reed told Restaurant Dive. To reach that goal, it aims to open between 25 and 40 locations annually, Reed said.
Earlier this year, the restaurant chain announced that it would add open seven new restaurants in early 2023. Captain D’s restaurants under construction include new and existing markets in the U.S. states of Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, and Texas.
Future locations will feature Captain D’s popular eExpress 22- and 44-seat designs and a double drive-thru, “which boasts shortened wait times and increased efficiency,” the company said.
“Captain D’s is also continuing to successfully convert vacant restaurant properties, with four completed last year and three cost-effective conversions currently underway in Georgia markets,” the company said in a press release.
To help facilitate its growth plan, Captain D’s recently hired Steve Bailey as its new director of franchise development. Bailey has more than 20 years of industry experience in franchise sales and development with multiple restaurant service brands. Bailey will focus on development in the U.S. East, while working alongside senior director of franchise development Steve Bielewicz, who is responsible for growing the company's presence in the U.S. West, the company said in a press release.
“Captain D’s focus on flexible prototypes and cost-effective conversion opportunities is fueling increased interest from both new and existing multi-unit and multi-concept franchisees throughout the South, Midwest, and Mid-Atlantic, and we have welcomed Steve [Bailey] onboard our development team to help us capitalize on this momentum,” Reed said.
Photo courtesy of Long John Silver’s
