Island Poké sets sights on Europe expansion

Hawaiian poké specialist Island Poké has announced that it will expand internationally, launching 13 sites across Europe in 2020.

The first site, opening this April, will be located on Rue Saint-Honoré in the bustling 1er arrondissement of Paris. Other France openings include Nice, Lyon, Montpellier, Marseille and Nantes in 2020. Island Poké will also open restaurants in Belgium and Luxembourg in 2021.

Making the journey across the channel will be Island Poké’s Classic Ahi, Huli Huli Chicken, Yuzu Lomi Lomi Salmon and its seasonally-changing Guest Bowls. Vegan Ahi, a 100% plant-based version of their Classic Ahi using innovative ‘watermelon tuna’, will also feature.

Island Poké started in 2015 when founder James Porter first served his poké bowls at street food markets across London. Finding early success and being backed by White Rabbit Fund, it now operates eight restaurants across the capital in Canary Wharf, Fitzrovia, Soho, The City, Southbank, Victoria and Shoreditch. The team are also looking to expand across the UK and explore new ways to enter new territories over the coming years.

“We’re thrilled to be opening our very first international restaurant in Paris this spring, along with the further restaurants across France, Belgium and Luxembourg we have planned,” says Porter. “We’ve put a huge amount of effort into ensuring that our offering in Paris is every bit as good as our London sites and we’re confident that our bowls will find a loyal following from Parisians.”