Poké Bar gives future franchise owners the opportunity to change careers and become a successful restaurant owner, and the power to provide their community with a healthy, delicious meal and be their own bosses. By Elice Morgenson
Poké Bar provides healthy food with a modern flair
In 2019, brothers Eric and Kevin Renwick opened a Poké Bar in Monrovia, California. They always knew they wanted to work together, and when the opportunity to purchase a Poké Bar – that serves the famous Hawaiian Poké bowl – opened up, they jumped at the chance.
The Renwicks were born and raised in Jacksonville, Florida. Kevin pursued a career in music before moving to California to pursue a career in the movie industry. Eric lived between Florida and California, working in corporate recruiting, human resources, and home mortgages. Both brothers have developed wildly diverse career paths, even working together to buy and flip houses. All the ingredients were there to make them the entirely motivated entrepreneurial pair.
Kevin saw an opportunity with Poké Bar and instantly looked to his brother to move forward with this lead. “I have always worked independently and for myself. When the opportunity to purchase a Poké Bar franchise came up, I immediately contacted my brother to see if this was something he was interested in pursuing.
“We both always knew that we wanted to work together.” Eric was easy to persuade, he had long hoped to ‘fire his boss’ and become an entrepreneur. “The decision to move back out to California was an easy one. I was growing tired of doing mortgages and being in an office environment all day. I wanted to work for myself and improve my quality of life,” said Eric.
The brothers chose Poké Bar because it was a brand that carried the same values and lifestyle the brothers were interested in. “We really connected with the brand and direction the brand was going. We were looking for a brand that was eco-friendly and was contributing to the health and wellness of the community. We also really liked that we could also co-brand a bubble tea company as well. We felt that this was something that would be successful, and that would interest the younger generations.”
The brothers are still in their first year of ownership, and so we asked them about what their biggest challenges are. “We think our biggest challenge has been finding good employees. We are very hands-on in the daily operations of our store and finding employees that share our dedication and care has definitely been the hardest challenge. The entire process from an interview, to training, and then not having an employee work out and then having to redo it is frustrating, but we are progressing and have a good foundation now.”
Poké Bar has given the brothers the power to provide their community with a healthy, delicious meal and be their own bosses. They both look forward to opening future Poké Bar locations and have no thoughts of slowing down. “We definitely feel like we made the right choice in franchising with Poké Bar. We love the fact that we are emphasizing healthy choices with the next generation and are looking forward to opening our next location.”
Poké Bar gives future franchise owners the opportunity to change careers and become a successful restaurant owner. If you are interested in learning more about the delicious Poké Bar and the healthy choices, it offers you and your area, contact Renee Li at renee@ilovepokebar.com or visit ilovepokebar.com.
– Elice Morgenson