How’d a poke restaurant come to The Avenue in Clovis? Owner trades Apple for raw fish
Tou Yang knows he could’ve played it safe.
For five years, Yang worked at Apple Park, the corporate headquarters of Apple Inc. in the Bay Area.
He had a cushy job in the food service division as a cook, with solid pay, good benefits, as well as weekends off.
“It was great,” Yang said. “I enjoyed it there.”
Still, the Fresno native had bigger goals and grander plans.
So when an opportunity arose for Yang to help one of his friends to grow a new, fast-casual restaurant that was attempting to expand beyond San Jose, the 2007 Sunnyside High graduate decided to roll the dice and bet on himself.
As well as the growing popularity of poke.
Nine years later after leaving a stable job at Apple to pursue a career that was potentially more lucrative and satisfying by working in operations for Poke House, Yang, 36, has expanded his goals once more and become a franchise owner.
He’s brought the first Poke House restaurant to the Fresno area.
“Being from Fresno, I wanted to bring something back that I’ve been working on for quite a while now,” said Yang, who in recent months has been splitting time living in San Jose and working in Clovis. “Just saw all the development happening in Fresno and Clovis, and that really excited me to bring this to the Valley and share this with everyone here.”
Poke House is no longer a startup restaurant that’s looking to find its footing as when Yang first joined.
It’s become a national chain with 22 locations, primarily in California but with a franchise in Atlanta, as well as upcoming spots set to open in Las Vegas and in Oregon.
In the Fresno area, early signs seem to indicate Poke House has become an instant hit.
During the Poke House grand opening earlier this month, the line to enter the restaurant wrapped around the building and lasted from open until close.
“Very honored that the community came out and gave us strong support,” Yang said.
Poke House is the latest spot to debut at The Avenue, the upscale, mixed-use complex completed last summer and located at the southeast corner of Willow and Shepherd avenues in Clovis.
The complex has strived to bring aboard unique restaurants and shops that’s void of repeated, nearby locations.
And Poke House fits that bill, with the next closest Poke House located along the Central Coast in Monterey.
“Knowing this was a fresh, new development, we really wanted to get into (it),” Yang said.
Poke popularity
What exactly is poke or a poke bowl?
At its core, poke is diced up raw fish, sometimes marinated.
Think of a sushi roll that’s been deconstructed and with the raw fish cut up in cubes.
A poke bowl, which is a traditional Hawaiian dish, essentially is cubed pieces of raw fish or other meats (like shrimp or beef that’s been cooked) that’s served over a bed of rice or greens while topped with various vegetables and sauces.
According to Technavio, a market research company with global coverage, the poke foods market is an $8.78 billion industry with future market opportunities expected to reach almost another $6 billion over the next four years.
“The poke foods market has evolved from a niche Hawaiian specialty into a mainstream dining category, driven by consumer demand for healthy, customizable, and convenient meals,” the Technavio market summary states. “This expansion is supported by the inherent nutritional benefits of its core components, such as raw fish and fresh vegetables, which align with modern wellness trends.”
At Poke House, customers regularly customize what items they’d like to fill their poke bowl — from the base (rice, vegetables, noodles) to the proteins, mix-ins, sauces and toppings.
Among the meat/protein selections, folks can choose among Scottish salmon, ahi tuna, octopus, shrimp, organic tofu, spicy miso salmon, spicy tuna, garlic oyster tuna and krab salad.
For those wanting a tasty meal but without putting much thought in how it’s constructed, Poke House has six signature bowls with predetermined ingredients. Pricing ranges from $15 to $22.
“What stands out is the value that we provide and the little taste of Hawaii if you haven’t been there,” Yang said. “The best compliment we’ve gotten is when someone’s from Hawaii and says it tastes like home.”
Poke House is open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
