Aloha Poke Co., a fast-casual poke restaurant concept, announced plans to open two new Chicago corporate stores as development of a new Houston, Texas franchise location moves forward.
“We are thrilled to continue our expansion in suburban Chicago,” said Chris Birkinshaw, CEO of Aloha Poke Co. “As poke becomes a mainstream category, more and more customers demand a high-quality brand experience. Our repeat business is off the charts, and we’ve heard loud and clear that our customers want us to meet them, wherever they are, with new locations in our existing markets.”
Based in Chicago, Aloha Poke Co. operates 19 locations in Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Texas, Florida, Georgia and Washington, D.C. The company started in 2016 in a food hall in Chicago’s busy West Loop, offering its customers fast, freshly packed sashimi-grade fish paired with delicious, whole ingredients. With tremendous demand and affinity for the food and brand, Aloha Poke Co. has grown rapidly ever since. The two new Chicago-area stores, in Deerfield and Mt. Prospect, expand Aloha Poke Co.’s hometown footprint to 10 stores.
“We are thrilled to continue our expansion in suburban Chicago,” said Chris Birkinshaw, CEO of Aloha Poke Co. “As poke becomes a mainstream category, more and more customers demand a high-quality brand experience. Our repeat business is off the charts, and we’ve heard loud and clear that our customers want us to meet them, wherever they are, with new locations in our existing markets.”
Last year, Aloha Poke Co. announced the development of 11 Houston franchise locations, with first-time franchisees Amanda and Cory Tabb opening a Cypress location in 2021. Baryalay Razi, a multi-brand, multi-unit professional franchisee, plans another ten. Razi’s first store is on track to open this fall in Richmond, Texas.
