When the Sproat family started looking into franchise opportunities, they told their broker “no food.” However, after visiting a local Island Fin Poké owned by Mark Setterington, the company’s president and CEO, they fell in love with his healthy food options and build-your-bowl concept. By Cindy Charette

When the Sproat family started looking into franchise opportunities, they told their broker “no food.” However, after visiting a local Island Fin Poké owned by Mark Setterington, the company’s president and CEO, they fell in love with his healthy food options and build-your-bowl concept.

After learning more about Island Fin’s simple, straightforward, no-cook business model, they knew this was the right fit. The Sproats invested in two units and opened their first restaurant in November 2019 in Wesley Chapel, Florida. They’re now in the early stages of opening their second location.

Although they share shifts and responsibilities, Jeff and Brenda Sproat and their son, Jason, have complementary strengths. Jeff works on the operations/administration side, managing reports and payroll, tracking and analyzing sales, and placing supplier orders. Brenda covers sales, marketing and networking events, and Jason handles the day-to-day operations.

The timeline below shows a typical day in the life of this Island Fin Poké family.

8:30 a.m. Prep work begins. Because Island Fin Poké uses only fresh, farm-to-fork ingredients, the morning starts with slicing fruits, vegetables, fish and other proteins, as well as preparing sauces and ceviche, and steaming rice – all for the service counter and backup pans.

11:00 a.m. Island Fin Poké opens for business. Team members enjoy answering questions and helping guests put together their bowls with creative taste combinations. They make connections and give out samples. Guests leave feeling happy and healthy.

10:30 a.m. Team members set up the cash register, and ready tables, benches and utensils for the day. They fill the 30-pan mega-top prep table with fresh food for guests. They also place signs at neighboring shops directing potential guests to the restaurant.

9:00 p.m. Team members carefully mark leftover food for life spans and refrigerate it for the next day. They follow a two-page checklist for performing closing procedures correctly. Within about 30 minutes, the restaurant is closed and ready for prep the next day.

For more information on an Island Fin Poke franchise, visit IslandFinPoke.com.

– Cindy Charette