Since Captain D’s restaurant on U.S. Highway 80 was destroyed by fire in January, it’s been anything but business as usual for Kenneth Williams.

But now that the restaurant is gearing up to reopen, he’s looking for things to return to normal.

Williams is manager and co-owner along with James Ricketts and Joseph Henry. &uot;We’re still home-owned and home-operated,&uot; he says.

Williams has been with Captain D’s since 1982. He’s been in the restaurant business since 1978.

Williams and Ricketts attended Captaint D’s University, a sort of crash course on the ins and outs of running a high-volume restaurant.

Prior to working at Mr. Waffle, Williams also pulled a stint at the old Judy’s Hamburgers. &uot;I love it,&uot; he says of the restaurant business. &uot;I wouldn’t do anything else.&uot;

Not that life on the grill doesn’t have its challenges. A good day, Williams says with a smile, is &uot;when everybody shows up.&uot;

Williams says they expect to hire between 35 to 40 employees when the restaurant reopens in early October. Some of the employees who were with him before the fire will be returning to work. Applications to fill the remaining slots will be accepted at the Selma office of the Alabama Employment Service on Broad Street Sept. 23-25 between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Captain D’s accepts major credit cards as well as debit cards.