Turning healthy, made to order food into everyday habits for modern eaters
Pokawa is a France-based fast-casual restaurant brand specializing in Hawaiian-inspired poke bowls made with fresh, customizable ingredients. Its menu combines rice, marinated fish, fruits, and vegetables to create vibrant, made-to-order dishes. The company operates a growing network of restaurants across France, Belgium, and Luxembourg, serving customers both in-store and via delivery platforms. With its distinctive concept and strong customer following, Pokawa is the category leader in poke bowls in France.
"Vendis’ support helped us to sharpen our value proposition and improve our strategic positioning, drawing on their consumer expertise, long-term vision, and genuine commitment to ESG."
Bart de Vreese, CEO
Investment rationale
- The pioneer in the nascent, fast-growing poke bowl category, fulfilling the increasing consumers’ desire for healthy, fresh and made-to-order dishes
- Digital-native brand with a distinct positioning and strong consumer advocacy
- Simple products, addressing key consumer trends at a premium accessible pricing and perfectly suited for on-site, takeaway and delivery consumption
- Very consistent network of small but successful restaurants delivering impressive metrics through hybrid business mode
Growth Strategy
- Roll out rapidly in France as leading concept in a fractioned and growing market whilst transitioning from owned-restaurant to franchise model
- Rebalance distribution model to reduce dependency on delivery platforms
- Create barriers to entry through concept improvements and marketing investments to build the brand
- Set-up a strong organization through investments in systems and recruitments for key roles
- Test additional growth avenues in France (e.g. travel retail) and validate international potential