Pokeworks
Dining · 80+ locations · NYC, Boston, Houston, Dallas, Austin, Irvine, Canada, Taiwan
The viral "sushi burrito" counter from 2015 grew into what Pokeworks calls the largest poke brand in the U.S., with 80-plus locations that are nearly all franchised. Its founders took back day-to-day control in 2024, and Japan's Toridoll, Marugame Udon's parent, owns 40 percent.
The Big Picture
Pokeworks is majority-owned by its founders, who took back day-to-day management in 2024 after two years under hired CEOs, with Tokyo-listed Toridoll holding a 40 percent stake. The bigger gaps are downstream of the ownership story: a raw-seafood supply chain with no named suppliers or third-party audits, and pay set shop by shop by the franchisees who own nearly all of its 80-plus locations. Growth decisions still sit with the founding team, but a public Japanese conglomerate owns a large minority claim on the results.
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Company data last updated August 2026
How does one person build and research all this? They don't: here's how it actually works. Verdicts are our opinions, based on the public sources cited above as of August 2026. Spotted something off? or learn more.