At Avon’s new Poke Bros., you can build your own sushi bowl — and more
Popular chain comes to Connecticut: ‘Good food should be easy’
A popular restaurant chain that serves sushi, tofu or chicken in a bowl with added choices for all the fresh components of a sushi roll has opened its first store in Connecticut.
Poke Bros., which has 72 locations in 13 states, opened Tuesday in Avon at 25 Climax Road, where its Hawaiian Poke bowls were a hit.
“It went really well. People were really excited about it,” company spokesman Josh Ogg said of the opening.
He added, “If you’re not a raw fish kind of person you can do a bowl with chicken or tofu.”
The company, founded in 2016 describes, the eatery as having “an assembly line model popularized by franchises such as Chipotle or Subway,” allowing guests to build their own poké bowl.
Ogg said there are more of the restaurants coming to Connecticut, but there are no details yet.
Currently, they are located in Ohio, South Carolina, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Florida, Kentucky, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Delaware, Indiana, and Illinois.
The way it works: Customers pick a base such as rice or greens; a protein of several kinds of fish or chicken; fresh vegetable ingredients; sauce and topping.
The company bills its product as healthful, clean and not processed.
“Most fast food options out there are the same old fried food,” says Poke Bros founder Xue Gong Chen.
“We’re proud that Poke Bros gives people something that’s quick and easy for lunch or dinner but with fresh, healthy ingredients and great flavor. Good food should be easy to grab on the go.”
The company’s food is most often bought to go or be delivered, but there is some seating in the Avon location.
The three young co-founders of Poke Bros. started bringing the “island sensation from the California coasts to the mid-west in 2016,”
Ogg said.
They also offer a handful of Signature Bowls, as well as lighter snacks like poké nachos, seaweed salad, and Mochi ice cream for dessert.
After customers choose a base, again white rice, brown rice, sushi rice, or salad, the protein choices include salmon or tuna, either plain or spicy; shrimp; or chicken.
Other additions to the bowl can include edamame, carrot, different kinds of onion, ginger, avocado, cucumber, pineapple and tofu.
Sauces include: ponzu, gochujang, sweet soy, sriracha aioli, wasabi aioli, coconut ginger Toppings include: sesame seed, tempura flakes, crispy onion, wonton chips, crushed cashew nuts, toasted coconut.
Ogg said it’s hot rice with cold fish or chicken.
“There are all the favors and textures of sushi,” Ogg said.
Ogg said they are hoping people follow the company on Facebook and Instagram for news and discounts.