Start a Pokeworks Franchise in 2025

Company Overview

About Pokeworks

Industry	Food
Related Categories	Poke, Asian Food, Seafood , Miscellaneous Quick-Service Restaurants
Founded	2015
Parent Company	Beyond Restaurant Group LLC
Leadership	Peter Yang, CDO
Corporate Address	220 Technology Dr., #120 Irvine, CA 92618
Social	Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok

Business Overview

Franchising Since	2016 (9 years)
# of employees at HQ	35
Where seeking	This company is offering new franchises throughout the US. This company is offering new franchises worldwide.
# of Units	73 (as of 2024)

Information for Franchisees

Here's what you need to know if you're interested in opening a Pokeworks franchise.

Financial Requirements & Ongoing Fees

Here's what you can expect to spend to start the business and what ongoing fees the franchisor charges throughout the life of the business.

Initial Franchise Fee Definition: The initial fee paid to a franchisor to join their system What you need to know: Found in Item 5 of the FDD, this may be a flat fee, or may vary based on territory size, experience, or other factors.The franchise fee is an up-front (one-time) cost that a new franchisee pays to the franchisor. This fee is usually due at the signing of the franchise agreement and covers the right to use the franchisor's trademarks, name, and related business systems.	$35,000
Initial Investment Definition: The total amount necessary to begin operation of the franchise What you need to know: The initial investment includes the franchise fee, along with other startup expenses such as real estate, equipment, supplies, business licenses, and working capital. This is outlined in a chart in Item 7 of the FDD, showing a range of possible costs from low to high.	$308,455 - $602,878
Net Worth Requirement Definition: The minimum net worth you must have in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company What you need to know: Net worth is the value of a person's assets minus liabilities. Assets include cash, stocks, retirement accounts, and real estate. Liabilities include items like mortgages, car payments, and credit card debt.	$750,000 - $1,200,000
Cash Requirement Definition: The minimum liquid capital you must have available in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company.	$350,000 - $500,000
Royalty Fee Definition: A ongoing fee paid to the franchisor on a regular basis. What you need to know: Most franchisors require franchisees to pay an ongoing royalty fee, which is detailed in Item 6 of the FDD. This fee is typically a percentage of weekly or monthly gross sales, but may also be a flat weekly, monthly, or annual fee.	6%
Ad Royalty Fee Definition: An going fee paid to the franchisor on a regular basis to support advertising or marketing efforts. What you need to know: This may also be called advertising fee, marketing fee, brand fund fee, and more, but the basic purpose is the same-- to support promotion of the brand systemwide. As with the royalty fee, it is detailed in Item 6 of the FDD, and can be a percentage of weekly or monthly gross sales or a weekly, monthly, or annual fee.	1.5%
Term of Agreement Definition: The length of time your franchise agreement will last. What you need to know: Franchise terms are typically anywhere from 5 to 20 years in length, but are sometimes instead dependent on factors such as the term of your lease. Once your term is up, you may have the option to renew your agreement, typically for a smaller fee than the original franchise fee.	10 years
Is franchise term renewable?	Yes

Financing Options

Some franchisors offer in-house financing, while others have relationships with third-party financing sources to which they refer qualified franchisees.

Third Party Financing	Pokeworks has relationships with third-party sources which offer financing to cover the following: franchise fee, startup costs, equipment, inventory, accounts receivable, payroll

Training & Support Offered

Franchisors offer initial training programs and a variety of ongoing support options to help franchisees run their businesses.

On-The-Job Training	135 hours
Ongoing Support	Newsletter Meetings & Conventions Grand Opening Online Support Security & Safety Procedures Lease Negotiation Field Operations Site Selection Proprietary Software Franchisee Intranet Platform
Marketing Support	Co-op Advertising Ad Templates National Media Regional Advertising Social Media SEO Website Development Email Marketing Loyalty Program/App

Operations

Additional details about running this franchise.

Is absentee ownership allowed?	Yes
Can this franchise be run from home/mobile unit? Definition: The business can be run from your home and/or a vehicle, and it is not necessary to have a retail facility, office space, or warehouse.	No
Can this franchise be run part time? Definition: This business can be run by the owner on a part-time basis (less than 40 hours per week) and/or as a side business; it is not necessary for the business to be open/run full-time.	No
# of employees required to run	12
Are exclusive territories available? Definition: An exclusive territory is a fixed area in which you are given the right to operate and in which no other units of the same franchise may be opened. What you need to know: Territory size may be based on factors such as radius, population size, zip codes, and more. Details can be found in Item 12 of the FDD.	Yes

Franchise 500 Ranking History

Compare where Pokeworks landed on this year's Franchise 500 Ranking versus previous years.

Additional Rankings

Curious to know where Pokeworks ranked on other franchise lists? Find out below.

Ranked #1 in Poke in 2022

Top Food Franchises

More from Pokeworks

Our Story

Founded in late December 2015 in a tiny grab-and-go and delivery location in Midtown Manhattan, Pokéworks® has rapidly become the nation’s largest and fastest-growing poke franchise. As pioneers of the poke burrito and leaders in restaurant franchise innovation, we focus on delivering fresh, quality, and delicious food.

From the outset, Pokéworks captured significant consumer and industry attention, with hundreds of customers willing to wait 45 minutes or more to create their own poke burrito or bowl. The buzz around our brand soared when a short video titled "The 'Sushi Burrito' has hit NYC and it's amazing" went viral, amassing over 52 million views.

Today, Pokéworks continues to garner accolades from esteemed restaurant media. For 2024 Pokeworks has ranked on QSR’s short list of THE 16 BEST RESTAURANT FRANCHISING DEALS FOR 2024,n Fast Casual Movers and Shakers, Technomic Top 500 (Restaurant Business) Pokeworks has ranked on the Entrepreneur® Franchise 500® list the last 4 years, securing the title of the #1 poke franchise in 2022. We’ve also been recognized on the Fast Casual Movers and Shakers list for five consecutive years and achieved a top-five ranking on Restaurant Business's Future 50 list for two years running.

"Driven by increasing consumer demand, the poke category is one of the hottest fast-casual segments. Pokéworks is well-positioned to scale, and the 70-unit premium poke brand is ready to erupt," says Chief Development Officer, Peter Yang.

Our Menu & Operations

Efficient operations and a flexible footprint enable franchisees to consistently deliver streamlined, exceptional service. Pokéworks has developed an affordable, cohesive restaurant design that maximizes efficiency. With an average location size of approximately 1,200 square feet and no need for extensive cooking equipment, our spaces range from 350 to 2,000 square feet, offering versatility in site selection.

Our Hawaiian fusion menu appeals to a wide range of dietary preferences and restrictions, including gluten-free, nut-free, vegetarian, vegan, and both cooked and raw protein diets. Customers are drawn to Pokéworks by the exceptional quality, consistency, and affordability of our healthy, diverse, chef-driven menu. Restaurateurs appreciate the simplicity of Pokéworks kitchens, the ease of execution, and the menu’s flexibility, which together create a seamless operational experience.

Our Support

The Pokéworks franchise opportunity is bolstered by unparalleled corporate support from a team of seasoned restaurant franchise experts. Our leadership team is both accessible and deeply committed to shared core values, ensuring a strong partnership with our franchisees.

Our franchising momentum is fueled by the active involvement of our founders, alongside high-level executives who are spearheading Pokéworks’ growth strategy. As we continue to expand nationally, we’re welcoming several experienced franchise leaders to guide and execute our rapid growth plans.

Other support elements include:

National site selection and lease negotiation
Award-winning environmentally friendly design
National construction management support
Comprehensive 2-week initial training
Operative POS, scheduling, and inventory control systems
National purchasing and procurement program
Grand Opening marketing and event planning

Business development support:

Pokéworks' state-of-the-art technology stack
Traditional and digital Internet advertising initiatives
Strong social media programming and guidance
Local and brand-centric public relations assistance
High-profile contributing chef menu development
Innovative and effective marketing initiatives
Community fundraisers and campaigning efforts
Exceptional fresh, sustainable seafood supplier

Our Ideal Candidate

With more than 70 locations on the map today, the famed “poke burrito” originator continues to garner interest from multi-unit, multi-brand franchise operators who see increased real estate and sales opportunities in both proven and untapped markets.

Ideal North American candidates have ood and beverage experience and a minimum of $350,000 in available capital for each restaurant they wish to develop. Multi-unit location development is preferred (not required) for primary and secondary markets. Single-unit development is a consideration in smaller thriving markets in North America. Pokéworks also welcomes multi-unit international master franchise development with well-funded, experienced restaurant groups that have a familiarity with their region.

If you would like to join other highly accomplished multi-unit franchise owners in one of the most notable healthy, fast-casual restaurant franchises in modern memory, we welcome your inquiry. We will be happy to address your initial questions and explore available opportunities in your market.

Disclaimer

The information on this page is not intended as an endorsement or recommendation of any particular franchise or business opportunity by Entrepreneur Media. Our listings and rankings are solely research tools you can use to compare opportunities. Entrepreneur stresses that you should always conduct your own independent investigation before investing in a franchise or business opportunity. That should include reviewing the company's legal documents, consulting with an attorney and an accountant, and talking to former and current franchisees/licensees/dealers.

Updated: December 12th, 2022

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