Franchising
Aloha Poke lands Texas-sized deal in Houston
April 21, 2021
Aloha Poke Co. is entering Texas with an 11-unit deal for the Houston area, which nearly doubles its total franchise locations and leads a long-term development plan across other metroplex areas including Dallas/Fort Worth and Austin.
"Houston is one of the fastest-growing and culturally diverse cities in the nation and we are very excited to launch into this very important market with two exciting and dedicated franchisees," Paul Tripodes, VP of Franchise Development, said in a company press release.
Baryalay Razi, who was Aloha Poke's first franchisee with a three-unit deal in Maryland, is leading the Texas expansion. After applying for political asylum and leaving his post for safety concerns as a United Nations representative of his native country of Afghanistan 20 years ago, he began working three days per week at a Texas Whataburger kitchen.
He worked his way up, eventually becoming a regional director of operations as well as a Bojangles franchisee with five locations.
Also jumping into the post-pandemic franchise opportunity is husband-and-wife Amanda and Corey Tabb, who will open their Aloha Poke this summer in Cypress, Texas, just northwest of Houston.
According to industry analysts, the poke foods market is expected to grow by $1.2 billion by 2024.
"Aloha Poke is the perfect example of where consumer trends are heading within the fast casual space," Tripodes said. "This past year has been a difficult one for restaurants, but our expansion is due to offering a fresh, healthful menu created and distributed using the most sustainable practices available today. We look forward to many more opportunities for growth."
What's next?
With the acceleration of convenience trends as a result of the pandemic, Tripodes said the challenge for restaurateurs is predicting what customers will want post-COVID. In some respects, it may be that they want to go back to experiential concepts because they haven't been able to for some time.
"I think the restaurant of the future will be oriented towards less friction between the customer and the ordering experience, less reliance on a differentiated physical brand experience, and more focused on the digital experience with a brand and functionality of the footprint for the consumer," he said. Seats in counter-service dining rooms will still have their place, but far less so. The restaurant of the future is being reimagined right now."
Starting as a food stall in downtown Chicago's French Market / Ogilvie Transportation Center in 2016, Aloha Poke has grown to 15 locations throughout the Midwest, Southeast and Mid-Atlantic.
