Franchising

Aloha Poke Co opening Chicago stores

Provided

August 30, 2022

Aloha Poke Co. is opening two Chicago corporate stores.

"We are thrilled to continue our expansion in suburban Chicago," CEO Chris Birkinshaw said in a company press release. "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."

Founded in 2016 in a food hall in Chicago's busy West Loop, the chain recently 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, is planning another 10. Razi's first store is on track to open by year's in in Richmond, Texas.

The chain is also growing in Georgia and Wisconsin. Randy Elias, who owns several Moe's Southwest Grills in the Acworth and Cartersville, Georgia, communities, joined the Aloha Poke Co. brand in the spring of 2022.

Aloha Poke Co.'s growth in Wisconsin is driven by a joint venture between Aloha Poke Co. corporate and Aloha Wisconsin JV LLC. The first location opened in 2018 in downtown Milwaukee's Third Ward. Its second location opened in Wauwatosa in 2020, and the third store opened at the Mequon Public Market in 2021. The group is scouting locations in Madison for a fourth store.

Based in Chicago, Aloha Poke Co. operates 19 locations in Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Texas, Florida, Georgia and Washington, D.C.