Pokeworks, the fastest-growing fast-casual poke model globally, continues to draw savvy entrepreneurs looking for multi-unit development, due to its fresh-forward menu, simplified operations, and collaborative management staff. One standout franchisee who exemplifies this momentum is Alvin Zhang, who owns and operates three Pokeworks places throughout New York Metropolis.
Zhang, who works full-time within the accounting house and runs a consulting agency, opened his first Pokeworks in 2019 in Woodbury, Lengthy Island, turning into one of many model’s earliest adopters on the East Coast. After initially signing a two-unit deal, Zhang has since grown to a few places, together with two in Queens, in Astoria and Recent Meadows, along with the unique Lengthy Island location. Impressed by Pokeworks’ spectacular success in New York Metropolis and his longtime friendship with Pokeworks co-founder Peter Yang, Zhang noticed a possibility to carry the health-conscious and extremely customizable poke idea to communities in New York.
“Once I began entertaining the concept of opening a restaurant, I knew I needed it to be a quick-service mannequin,” mentioned Zhang. “Pokeworks was nonetheless very new and rising in reputation on the East Coast, and it supplied an unimaginable alternative to get in on the floor degree with a model that provides a a lot more healthy various in comparison with most QSR ideas.”
Zhang believes Pokeworks is uniquely positioned for multi-unit success as a result of a number of elements:
- Operational simplicity
- Sturdy client demand for contemporary and wholesome choices
- An ecosystem that values franchisee experience
“It is the candy spot for multi-unit franchisees,” continued Zhang. “Pokeworks affords robust model assist whereas giving native operators the liberty to supply enter to assist discover methods to tailor every location to their group. They perceive the significance of match and the way essential it’s to search out the fitting accomplice for the fitting space, in order that they’re prepared to work with you to search out what’s going to fit your location.”
Zhang has seen his efforts in creating a way of group throughout his Pokeworks places actually repay, having cultivated a tight-knit tradition. “We run like a household,” he shared. “Aloha and Ohana aren’t simply phrases on the wall, they’re how we function. A few of our staff and company have been with us since day one, and to see that sort of loyalty is a testomony to the Pokeworks model total.” Franchisees like Zhang are those that thrive within the model’s system, devoted to not solely discovering success, however prepared to place within the effort to make each Pokeworks location a welcoming house for communities.
“Alvin is an ideal instance of the sort of franchise accomplice we’re proud to develop with at Pokeworks,” mentioned Peter Yang, Co-Founder and Chief Growth Officer of Pokeworks. “He brings a strategic mindset, a deep understanding of his native market, and an actual sense of group into every of his places. That is precisely the sort of management that makes a multi-unit franchisee profitable in our system. Pokeworks is designed for growth-minded entrepreneurs via scalable operations and powerful model assist. For the fitting companions, this can be a model that may develop with you and Alvin’s story is proof of that.”
Based in 2015, Pokeworks was born from a bunch of associates and their love for Hawaiian poke. After experiencing genuine poke, the founders acknowledged the clear hole on the mainland and got down to carry the contemporary flavors of Hawaiian poke by providing customizable, wholesome poke bowls, burritos, and salads. Their Poke Your MeansⓇ method lets company tailor orders to varied diets, together with vegan and gluten-free, whereas providing handy grab-and-go choices for company on the go.
