Franchising

Island Fin Poke expanding in nation's capital

Provided

July 29, 2020

Hawaiian-style poke restaurant Island Fin Poke is strengthening its Washington D.C. presence this Fall when it opens its first Virginia location in Falls Church at 7501 Leesburg Pike, Suite 129. The Florida-founded concept, which serves traditional poke in the form of build-your-own bowls, has been operating its first D.C-area location in Bowie, Maryland, since January.

"One of the most important things for us as a brand is to uphold traditional Hawaiian standards in our cuisine," Co-founder Mark Setterington said in a company release. "Not only is our menu authentic, but we make sure every restaurant reflects the value of Ohana. For us, ohana is a way of life, and we want every guest that walks through our doors to know they are a part of the family."

After working in the restaurant industry for 36 years and overseeing 10 restaurants throughout Las Vegas and Los Angeles, Setterington and his co-founder, Paul Reas, launched Island Fin Poke to bring guests high-quality poke in an immersive tropical environment. The duo's first location opened in Orlando, and over the past three years, Island Fin Poke has grown to eight locations across five states. The Falls Church location will be Island Fin Poke's entry to Virginia, with plans for more growth in the area.

"We believe that the local residents will appreciate our family-oriented culture and personal attention given to every guest," Setterington said. "Our Bowie location has been very successful and our expansion to Falls Church is just the beginning for the D.C. metro area."

In addition to its open restaurants, Island Fin Poke has 26 locations in various stages of development across the country. While Setterington operates his own locations in Florida, the brand is actively seeking franchisees to bring the poke concept to their home communities.