Pokemoto, the customizable, health-focused poke chain acquired three months ago by Muscle Maker Grill, is ramping up franchising efforts in the Northeast.
The chain, which currently operates 14 locations in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut and Georgia, recently signed a franchise agreement to open three additional units in Massachusetts.
The poke restaurants are expected to open in the college towns of Northampton, Amherst and Hadley, home to a dense concentration of Gen Z consumers—the demographic Pokemoto is eager to reach, according to a statement. The brand already has a presence near several Connecticut campuses, including Yale University, Fairfield University, University of Connecticut Stamford, University of New Haven and Quinnipiac University.
The expansion of Pokemoto fits with Muscle Maker Grill’s growth strategy into diverse channels. In March, the fast casual acquired Superfit Foods, a meal subscription business, and prior to that partnered with Happy Meal Prep.
“One of the goals of the Pokemoto acquisition was to expand with the goal of increasing our traditional and nontraditional footprint and in turn, accelerating our top line sales, and here we are 90 days in, with a three-unit deal signed,” Mike Roper, CEO of Muscle Maker, Inc., said in a statement. “We are in the process of integrating Pokemoto into existing and new Muscle Maker Grill locations to run dual brands in areas that are targeting Millennial and Gen-Z demographics.”
Burleson, Texas-based Muscle Maker Grill has struggled with operating losses for quite some time, and has filed registration documents to raise millions in an initial public offering a couple of times in recent years. The IPOs failed to garner much traction, raising just a fraction of what the company was seeking.
As of May of this year, stores under the Muscle Maker Grill brand numbered 32 locations, down from 39 units in 2019 and 53 in 2017.
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