What Just Poké does

Just Poké is a privately held fast-casual poke bowl restaurant chain founded in 2016 by Seattle natives Danny Brawer and Norman Wu, operating as Graceful Bowls, LLC from the Mercer Island / Puget Sound area. The company sells customizable poke bowls through two core formats — a build-your-own platform offering nine proteins, more than 25 toppings, and nine in-house signature sauces, and a menu of curated signature bowls (expanded to 12 in October 2024) — alongside ancillary categories including Hawaiian Plates, Warm Bowls, Torched Bowls, sides, drinks, catering, gift cards, and a food truck.

The underlying operating model is a no-full-kitchen quick-service concept that lowers buildout and labor overhead relative to traditional poke or sushi restaurants, enabling smaller-footprint stores and franchise economics. Sourcing is a stated differentiator: line-caught-by-hand USA Sashimi Grade tuna, MSC Chain-of-Custody certified salmon, and BAP-certified producers, with biodegradable/compostable packaging and Ocean Friendly Restaurant certification from the Surfrider Foundation across all locations.

Just Poké monetizes primarily through retail food sales (dine-in, pickup, and delivery via DoorDash, Caviar, Postmates, and UberEats), one-time franchise fees and ongoing royalties from franchise-operated locations, catering services (poke buffets and individual meals with a 10-person minimum), and gift card / loyalty program revenue through Just Poke Rewards. Distribution spans 32+ company-owned and franchised locations concentrated in the Pacific Northwest plus newer stores in British Columbia, California, Texas, Arizona, and Florida, with stadium concessions at T-Mobile Park and Climate Pledge Arena and an on-campus Microsoft restaurant providing high-traffic enterprise touchpoints. The chain is actively expanding, with announced new markets including Washington DC and Salt Lake City.

Name

Just Poké

Legal name

Graceful Bowls, LLC

Website

https://justpoke.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Just Poké is a privately held fast-casual poke bowl chain operating 32+ locations across the Pacific Northwest, with expansion into BC, CA, TX, AZ, and FL, serving customizable and signature poke bowls plus Hawaiian Plates to health-conscious consumers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fast-Casual Restaurants

NAICS

Limited-Service Restaurants (722513)

akta.pro primary industry

Salad & Bowl Concepts (Grain/Protein/Healthy Bowls) (THAFABAF)

Keywords

• Poke bowl restaurant
• Fast casual dining
• Customizable bowls
• Quick service restaurant
• Sushi grade seafood

Headquarters

HQ city

Bellingham

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Retail Food Sales: Direct revenue from sale of poke bowls, signature bowls, Hawaiian plates, and salads at individual restaurant locations. Customers can order dine-in, pickup, or delivery.
2. Franchise Fees: Revenue from franchise partnerships where independent operators open and operate Just Poké locations under the brand.
3. Catering Services: Corporate and event catering with poke buffet and individual meals, requiring minimum 48 hours notice and 10-person minimum.
4. Gift Cards: Sale of eGift cards and gift card balances for customer purchases.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Just Poké operates a fast-casual poke bowl restaurant chain in the Pacific Northwest, offering customizable bowls built from a selection of nine proteins, 25+ fresh toppings, and nine in-house-developed signature sauces, alongside 12 curated Signature Bowls. Revenue is generated through dine-in, pickup, and delivery at 32+ company-owned and franchised locations, supported by catering services, a food truck, gift cards, and a customer loyalty program. The chain operates without full kitchens, lowering overhead and enabling rapid unit expansion with a planned footprint of 40+ restaurants by 2026.

Product overview

Just Poké is a fast-casual poke bowl restaurant chain operating a multi-location, modular product portfolio. The core offering centers on customizable poke bowls available through two primary formats: Signature Bowls (12 pre-designed flavor combinations including Hawaiian Classic, Rainbow Roll, Spicy Salmon, Garlic Shrimp, Dynamite Scallops, and Kalua Pork) and Build Your Own (customer-selected base, protein, toppings, and sauces). The 2026 menu expansion introduced Signature Entrees including Hawaiian Plates (warm hearty options) and Signature Salads alongside new Warm Bowls and Torched Bowls categories. Adjacent offerings include Sides/Soup/Snacks, Drinks, Catering Services (Poke Buffet and Individual Meals for events), Just Poke Rewards loyalty program, Gift Cards, and a Food Truck for events. A separate sub-brand, CATCH by Just Poké, operates independently. The company also offers franchising opportunities for expansion.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CATCH by Just Poké: A sub-brand concept focused on poke restaurant with fresh seafood and healthy bowls, with locations such as CATCH by Just Poké Bellingham.

Products and services

• Signature Bowls Twelve pre-designed chef-curated poke bowl combinations with curated flavor profiles, including Hawaiian Classic, Rainbow Roll, Spicy Salmon, Garlic Shrimp, Dynamite Scallops, and Kalua Pork. Sold at company-owned and franchised locations.
• Build Your Own Bowl Customizable poke bowl where customers select their own base, protein, 25+ toppings, and one of nine in-house-developed signature sauces to build a personalized meal.
• Signature Entrees: Hawaiian Plates and Signature Salads Warm and hearty Hawaiian-inspired plate meals (Hawaiian Chicken, Kalua Pork) and fresh vibrant salad options (Sesame Seared Salmon, Umami Chicken, California Roll Bowl) under the new Signature Entrees category.
• Warm Bowls Warm poke bowl options added to the menu to provide heated alternatives to traditional cold poke bowls.
• Torched Bowls Signature menu bowls featuring torched/seared proteins for a warm, charred flavor profile as an alternative to traditional cold poke bowls.
• Catering Services (Poké Buffet and Individual Meals)
• Gift Cards
• Just Poké Food Truck Mobile food truck serving a curated selection of Just Poké's most popular bowls at public events and private bookings, with its original Mercer Island parking location at Hap's Burgers.
• CATCH by Just Poké (Sub-brand)
• Just Poké Rewards Loyalty Program
• Just Poké Franchise Program Franchise offering allowing independent operators to open and operate Just Poké locations under the brand, leveraging the no-full-kitchen model for lower overhead and existing sustainability credentials.

Quantifiable outcome

• 11 stores within first 5 years demonstrating rapid expansion
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Verve BowlscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 June 2018Partnership to offer açai bowls alongside Just Poké poke bowls. Created VB Scoops concept - a store within a store - at Redmond Town Center. Full Verve restaurant partnership at Fremont location. First VB Scoops location is a permanent pop-up inside Just Poké at Redmond Town Center.
• Wow Wow LemonadecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorJust Poke Market locations operate inside Wow Wow Lemonade stores, providing poke bowl options within the Wow Wow Lemonade footprint. Locations include Berkley CA, El Dorado Hills CA, Oro Valley AZ, Sarasota FL, Vacaville CA, Katy TX, and Houston TX.
• Surfrider FoundationminorOthersCertification body for Ocean Friendly Restaurant program. All Just Poké locations certified for taking proactive steps to eliminate single-use plastics, proper recycling, and serving sustainable seafood.
• Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP)minorOthersBAP is the world's most trusted, comprehensive, and proven third-party aquaculture certification program. Just Poké purchases salmon from BAP certified producers with complete traceability from boat or farm to delivery.
• Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)minorOthersMSC Chain of Custody certified salmon sourcing. Just Poké serves only MSC certified salmon for sustainable seafood practices.
• HomegrownminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with fellow Mercer Island entrepreneur. Homegrown offered space for Just Poké food truck to park at Hap's Burgers and Taps location, allowing collaboration between two local businesses.
• DoorDashminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party delivery partnership for takeout and delivery orders
• CaviarminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party delivery partnership for takeout and delivery orders
• PostmatesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party delivery partnership for takeout and delivery orders
• UberEatsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party delivery partnership for takeout and delivery orders

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• CAVA: Direct peer - fast-casual Mediterranean bowl/salad chain with build-your-own customization, similar ingredient transparency, and a comparable price point. Now public, providing a benchmark for unit economics and valuation in the fast-casual bowl category.
• Sweetgreen: Direct peer - national fast-casual chain focused on healthy, customizable bowls and salads with a sustainability-focused brand. Same product category (build-your-own bowls), same target customer (health-conscious consumers), and similar positioning around fresh, responsibly sourced ingredients.
• Sweetfin Poké: Direct poke-focused fast-casual peer with a sustainability-forward brand and customizable bowls. Operates company-owned and franchised locations across multiple US markets, closely matching Just Poké's core offering and brand positioning.
• Pokeworks: Direct peer - one of the largest poke-focused fast-casual chains in the US, offering customizable poke bowls with similar protein and topping choices. Operates with a comparable no/full-kitchen model and serves the same health-conscious customer.
• Lemonade Restaurant Group: Direct peer in the fast-casual customizable bowl/salad space with a California focus. Targets a similar health-conscious consumer with salads, bowls, and sides, and overlaps with Just Poké's calorie-conscious positioning.

Broad incumbents

• MOD Pizza: Broad incumbent - fast-casual chain with a customizable build-your-own model and comparable price point. Demonstrates the scale and franchise model that Just Poké is pursuing, and competes for similar real estate and occasions.
• Chipotle Mexican Grill: Broad incumbent - large fast-casual chain built around customizable meals with a streamlined operating model. While not poke-specific, it competes for the same lunch occasion and health-conscious fast-casual consumer and offers a useful template for unit economics at scale.

Others

• Wow Wow Lemonade: Channel partner - host of Just Poke Market store-in-store locations in California, Arizona, Florida, and Texas. They are not a direct competitor but rather a distribution partner that enables Just Poké to enter new markets via shared footprints.
• Surfrider Foundation: Adjacent - certification body that awards Just Poké's Ocean Friendly Restaurant designation. Not a commercial peer but a partner whose endorsement underpins Just Poké's sustainability brand differentiation.

Emerging players

• Salad and Go: Emerging player - fast-growing drive-thru focused salad and bowl concept that competes on speed and value. Represents a viable alternative format for the health-conscious consumer and illustrates competitive pressure in the fast-casual bowl segment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/justpoke
• Instagraminstagram.com/just.poke

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Just Poké