Franchising

Aloha Poke opens 9th Chicago-area location

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October 18, 2022

Aloha Poke Co. opened Tuesday in Chicago's Village of Mount Prospect at 916 N. Elmhurst Road, marking its 20th location and ninth in the Chicago region.

"My family lives in the northern suburbs of Chicago, and I'm asked constantly about opening stores in the area," Chris Birkinshaw, CEO of Aloha Poke Co., said in a company press release. "Based on the growing demand for delicious and healthy fast causal concepts and a strong location, it's the perfect time to bring Aloha Poke Co. to Mount Prospect and the surrounding community. We're thrilled to continue to expand our footprint around Chicago, while also growing with our exceptional franchisees in existing and new markets across the country."

Following a 2022 performance in which it recorded an increase of 13% comparable-store sales in the first half of the year, Aloha Poke announced plans for a Deerfield location in early 2023, which will increase the number of the company-owned and operated stores to 13.

The company started in 2016 in a food hall in Chicago's West Loop, offering its customers sashimi-grade fish paired with whole ingredients. In the six years since its founding, Aloha Poke Co. has grown to 20 locations in Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Texas, Florida, Georgia and Washington, D.C.

In 2020, Aloha Poke Co. announced the development of 11 Houston-based franchise locations. First-time franchisees Amanda and Cory Tabb opened the market in 2021 with their Cypress store, and Baryalay Razi, a multi-brand, multi-unit professional franchisee, will open 10 in Texas.