This is one of these posts that will mean absolutely nothing to everyone except me. When I was a kid back in the 80s I remember there was a fish and chips place in Salmiya on Baghdad Street that had a wooden interior. That’s all I remember of the place and the fact the name had the word “Captain” in it. I’ve been searching for YEARS trying to figure out what the place was and never could. Until today.
Randomly, while flipping through some old Kuwait Times newspapers from 1984 I came across the ad above for Captain D’s. I was like WTF, right away I noticed the address of the Salmiya (spelled Salmiah) location was Baghdad Street. This was it, I finally found out what the place was called.
Back in the 80s there was a company called “Al-Kazemi Food Company” which had the franchise in Kuwait. I don’t think the company exists anymore today since I couldn’t find any trace of them online but back then they had three franchises: Captain D’s, Popeyes and Pizza Inn.
Interestingly if you notice in the ad above it says that they were opening Captain D’s in Carlton Hotel. Thats the hotel that now has the Korean restaurant KOREA GWAN (previously called Koryokwan).
Anyway, if anyone has any more info or photos please let me know.
12 replies on “Captain D’s Kuwait – 1980s”
Popeyes was in Kuwait two times??
yup, i just found out today, had no idea they were here in the 80s. I guess kinda like how A&W and Arby’s keep closing and reopening. Also Subway, I remember Sultan Center were the original Subway franchisee in the mid 90s. I think Subway has swapped hands 3 times. Pizza Hut as well, used to be with Americana in the early 80s then became part of Kout Food Group (Al-Homaizi).
Pizza Hut Is still owned by Americana, but not of Kuwait anymore, but I’m not sure if that Popeyes (The one in the 80’s) is real because it mentions things like Hamburgers and Mexican Tacos.
No, Americana do not still have Pizza Hut in Kuwait. Americana lost Pizza Hut in the early 80s, it was then taken over by Kout Food Group https://www.kfg.jobs/en/page/our-brands/
Hey mark,
Thanks for sharing this post.
Pizza Inn Still operates in Kuwait today, with delivery options on Talabat etc
I have Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles bootleg VHS’s from Pizza Inn in Dubai. Free with the pizzas
im not sure if my memory serves right but i do remember pizza inn having a branch in true value alrai a decade ago. their mozzarella sticks were delicious lolzies
I totally remember this restaurant as a kid. I remember the smell of fried shrimps. I was thinking it was called Popeyes!
My relative used to work at Al-Kazemi group!
They have long gone past their best years these days. Used to be a promising group in the early 2000s. A string of lawsuits recently had the company dispose off various sections of their group of companies like their Chocolate Factory, Hotels, and the Food Group too I would assume.
They must have been ahead of their time back in the 80s
Regarding pizza hut kuwait, my relative & my friend was working before in americana kuwait company they had told me , that pizza hut kuwait before the Iraqi invasion in the year 1990 it was belongs to americana company with kfc & hardees in the years of 80th ,but when the late nasser kharafi the ex owner of americana had returned back to kuwait, he didn’t care about pizza hut kuwait, so yum company had withdrawal it from him, then homaizi apply for it with a great offer, then he became the owner of pizza hut kuwait after the Iraqi invasion.
kuwait after the Iraqi invasion, he care about
kfc & hardees, he didn’t care about pizza hut
, so yum company in America had withdraw pizza hut from him , then homaizi apply for pizza hut with a great offer then he became the owner of pizza hut kuwait after the Iraqi invasion.
Regarding pizza hut kuwait, one of my relative & friend was working before in americana kuwait company, they had told me that pizza hut kuwait before the Iraqi invasion was belongs to americana company, but when the late nasser kharafi the ex owner of americana had returned back to kuwait after the Iraqi invasion, he didn’t care about pizza hut, he missed it so yum company had withdraw it from him ,then homaizi apply for pizza hut in kuwait with a great offer, and he became the owner of pizza hut kuwait after the Iraqi invasion.