The rapidly growing population and business community in South Florida has caught the attention of Island Fin Poké, a fast-causal restaurant concept who sees the region as a perfect territory for market expansion. Island Fin Poké is the Hawaiian-style poké franchise specializing in unique, wholesome poké bowl creations. The brand looks to capitalize on South Florida’s pandemic-related growth and sees now as a prime opportunity to make its market entrance.
Island Fin Poké provides guests with farm-to-fork, locally and responsibly sourced ingredients for each individual to create their own personalized poké bowl. With eight proteins, over 25 toppings, house-made sauces and specialty mix-ins, the endless possibilities allow guests to get creative and try something new every visit. For the brand’s CEO and Co-Founder Mark Setterington, the restaurant’s comfortable beach shack environment and tropical offerings are the perfect complement to the Sunshine State’s southern coastal communities.
“We have been eyeballing South Florida for a while,” says Setterington. “It’s no secret that it’s a rapidly expanding region in the country and as our brand continues its national expansion, making our entrance into the market now makes perfect sense.”
After working in the restaurant industry for 37 years and overseeing 10 restaurants throughout Las Vegas and Los Angeles, Setterington and his co-founder, Paul Reas, decided to launch Island Fin Poké in 2017 to serve guests high-quality poké in an immersive tropical environment. The duo’s very first location opened in Orlando and over the past four years, Island Fin Poke has grown to over 16 locations across nine states.
“We believe the residents of South Florida will be attracted to the family-oriented culture of our brand and the way we cater to the changing needs of our guests and employees,” says Setterington. “We are extremely excited to make our entrance, targeting South Florida communities from Palm Beach County to the Keys, and cannot wait to welcome local residents into our Ohana.”
Island Fin Poke’s entrance into South Florida comes during a time of continued national expansion, as it looks to maintain the pace of growth it experienced over the course of the pandemic. As the brand continues to grow, Setterington says he is actively seeking potential franchisees to join Island Fin Poké’s Ohana and bring a taste of Hawaii to their own local communities.
