Captain Jacks

What Captain Jacks does

Captain Jack's is a privately held, family-owned steak and seafood full-service restaurant operating from a single waterfront location at 16812 Pacific Coast Highway in Sunset Beach, California (a note in the firmographics lists Panama City, Florida, but the website, all product/operational data, and the legal name ("Captain Jack's Steak & Seafood") consistently place the business in Sunset Beach, CA, USA). Founded on June 25, 1965 by Jack and Jeanette Haley, the restaurant is now in its second generation of family ownership under Tim Haley, who has led operations for over 25 years. The core offering is a premium fine-dining experience centered on signature crab legs, prime rib, and fresh seafood, with menu prices ranging from $5.75 oyster shots to $59.95 prime rib and market-priced surf-and-turf combinations. All entrees include unlimited house salad, rice, and fresh steamed bread.

The business operates a direct-to-consumer, dine-in-only model with no online ordering, no delivery, and no e-commerce. Revenue is generated at point of sale through cash and major credit card transactions on food and beverage, supplemented by in-person gift card sales that create a small deferred-revenue stream. Distribution is exclusively through the single physical location, with reservations taken by phone after 3pm. The restaurant runs nightly dinner service plus a daily-open 4pm bar/lounge, with live weekend entertainment by local singer-songwriter Jim Quealy. The technology footprint is minimal: a content website (captainjackssunsetbeach.com), social media presence across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Vimeo, and LinkedIn, and listings on Yelp and Trip Advisor. There is no proprietary software, no mobile app, no API, and no AI/ML systems.

The target customer is the individual or small group consumer seeking a premium waterfront dining experience in Orange County, with use cases spanning celebrations, seafood and steak meals, and lounge/bar visits. The go-to-market motion relies on the 61-year brand legacy, the founder's surfing pioneer reputation, prime PCH location with complimentary valet parking, and word-of-mouth plus social and third-party review discovery. The customer base is broadly distributed across walk-in diners, phone reservations, tourist traffic, and local regulars, with no named enterprise accounts, no B2B contracts, and no disclosed select customers. Operational scale is indicated by 73 total employees supporting the single location.

Name

Captain Jacks

Legal name

Captain Jack's Restaurant

Website

https://captainjackssunsetbeach.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Captain Jack's is a family-owned, second-generation fine-dining steak and seafood restaurant operating a single waterfront location on Pacific Coast Highway in Sunset Beach, California. It serves individual diners and groups seeking premium crab legs, prime rib, and seafood in a 61-year-old Orange County institution.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Full-Service Steak and Seafood Restaurant

NAICS

Full-Service Restaurants (722511)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Steakhouses & Seafood Restaurants (THAFACAE)

Keywords

• Fine dining restaurant
• Steak and seafood
• Waterfront dining
• Family restaurant
• Gift cards

Headquarters

HQ city

Sunset Beach

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Food and Beverage Sales: The primary revenue stream is from dine-in food and beverage sales. The restaurant offers a full menu including appetizers, entrees, combos (surf-and-turf), a curated wine list, beer on tap, and specialty cocktails. Revenue is generated through individual transaction payments at point of sale. The restaurant accepts cash and major credit cards.
2. Gift Cards: The restaurant sells gift cards, generating revenue upfront before redemption. This represents a deferred revenue stream as gift cards are redeemed over time.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Captain Jack's is a full-service, dine-in steak and seafood restaurant serving a la carte appetizers, entrees, surf-and-turf combos, and a curated bar program (wines by the glass and bottle, draft beer, and specialty cocktails). The restaurant operates from a single waterfront location in Sunset Beach, California, with nightly dinner service, a daily bar/lounge, and live music on weekends. The business sells gift cards in-person and accepts cash and major credit cards at the point of sale.

Product overview

Captain Jack's is a family-owned steak and seafood restaurant offering a unified dining experience centered on its signature offerings of world-famous crab legs, prime rib, and fresh seafood. The restaurant operates as a single full-service establishment with four interconnected menu categories: Appetizers, Entrees, Combos, and Drinks. Dinner service runs nightly with extended weekend hours, complemented by lounge entertainment featuring local musician Jim Quealy on Fridays and Saturdays. The restaurant also offers special promotions including Corkage Free Thursday and Half-Price Wine Tuesday on bottles under $100.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Captain Jack's Steak & Seafood Dining Experience Full-service fine-dining experience featuring signature crab legs, prime rib, and seafood entrees (including red king crab, lobster tail, broiled scallops, fresh fish, prime rib, filet mignon, and New Zealand rack of lamb) plus appetizers, surf-and-turf combos, and a curated wine, beer, and specialty cocktail program. Entrees include unlimited house salad, rice, and fresh steamed bread, served in a nautical-themed waterfront setting with indoor dining, an outdoor patio, a bar/lounge, and complimentary valet parking. Available to individual diners and groups in the Sunset Beach, California area for dine-in service nightly.
• Captain Jack's Gift Cards
• Bar and Lounge Service with Live Entertainment Daily bar and lounge service at Captain Jack's offering the full beverage program (premium wines by the glass and bottle, draft beer, well spirits, and a specialty cocktail menu) with live music by local singer-songwriter Jim Quealy every Friday and Saturday evening. Available to walk-in bar guests and diners seeking a casual lounge experience in the Sunset Beach, California restaurant.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Morton's The Steakhouse: National premium steakhouse chain serving USDA prime steaks and fresh seafood in a white-tablecloth setting. Comparable in pricing tier, occasion-driven dining, and reliance on premium surf-and-turf combos.
• Mastro's Steakhouse: Premium Southern California steakhouse chain with a heavy emphasis on seafood, cocktails, and lounge/dinner experience. Closely comparable in price point, white-tablecloth service, and signature surf-and-turf offerings within the same regional market.
• King's Fish House: SoCal-based upscale seafood-focused full-service restaurant with a similar fine-dining seafood orientation and bar/lounge program. Comparable in menu mix (crab, lobster, fresh fish) and target guest of premium seafood diners.
• Lawry's The Prime Rib: Long-established Southern California prime-rib-focused full-service restaurant brand. Highly comparable to Captain Jack's given the shared prime-rib signature item, SoCal footprint, white-tablecloth positioning, and similar multi-decade operating history.
• Gladstone's Long Beach: Iconic waterfront seafood restaurant on the Southern California coast with a similar surf-and-turf menu, scenic outdoor patio, and tourist-driven demand profile in close geographic proximity to Sunset Beach.
• The Capital Grille: National premium steakhouse concept with dry-aged steaks and fresh seafood in a refined dining environment. Overlaps with Captain Jack's on occasion-driven upscale dining and premium protein positioning.
• Ruth's Chris Steak House: National high-end steakhouse chain offering USDA Prime steaks and fresh seafood with comparable average check size and occasion-driven dining. Direct competitor for upscale steakhouse occasions in Southern California.
• The Chart House: Coastal steak-and-seafood full-service restaurant chain explicitly named alongside Captain Jack's in its founding history. Directly comparable in waterfront fine-dining positioning, surf-and-turf menu, and tourist/destination dining appeal.

Emerging players

• Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. Themed seafood chain located in tourist and waterfront destinations. Comparable in seafood-led menu, waterfront/tourist setting, and reliance on theme-based dining experience, though at a lower price tier than Captain Jack's.

Broad incumbents

• Black Angus Steakhouse: Established North American steakhouse chain with comparable surf-and-turf menu items at a slightly more accessible price point. Adjacent competitor for steakhouse occasions in the broader California dining market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CaptainJacksSB
• Facebookfacebook.com/CaptainJacksSunsetBeach
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/captain-jacks

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Captain Jacks