Leadership

Captain D’s promotes chain vet to COO

Tim Ward, formerly of Arby's, has been with the seafood fast casual since 2011.

A former Arby’s exec who has climbed the ranks at Captain D’s was named chief operating officer of the fast-casual seafood chain, the brand announced today.

Tim Ward has been with Captain D’s since 2011, starting as director of operations and most recently serving as vice president of operations.

Andy Castle has been promoted to assume Ward’s most recent role.

Nashville-based Captain D’s, founded in 1969, has 530 units in 21 states.

Members help make our journalism possible. Become a Restaurant Business member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.

Multimedia

Exclusive Content

Financing

KFC U.S. same-store sales disappear from Yum Brands’ earnings report

The Bottom Line: The restaurant chain operator has increasingly kept its attention focused on Taco Bell and KFC international. But its most recent report stopped breaking out U.S. same-store sales results.

Operations

The number of independent restaurants declined by 2.3% in 2025

That drop reflected a net loss of about 9,500 restaurant locations due to an increasingly challenging operating environment. Chain restaurants, however, fared a bit better.

Food

Farmer J bucks the bowl trend with chef-driven Fieldtrays

Behind the Menu: The fast-casual British import is generating a following in New York City with curated dishes that customers build into well-balanced, flavorful meals where each component has its own space.

Trending

More from our partners