notes that his company is the
“only poke restaurant with
cushions on the seats.”
Aside from those comfy
seats, though, LemonShark
represents exactly the kind
of entrant that buzzy food
concepts attract—which is
to say, well-financed people
with their ear to the ground.
LemonShark was founded by
Miller, a founding member
and lead guitarist in the band
the Wallflowers, and the
former pro race-car driver
Richard Gottlieb. Both men
are now successful real estate
developers and have racked
up more than 50 strip malls in
Southern California between
them. Their poke chain
has five locations—four in
California and one in Orlando,
Fla.—and 24 more set to open
during 2018. The company
says it has sold 67 units so far,
and it’s aiming to have 300
locations in key U.S. cities
within the next five years.
They’re also thinking
about differentiators that
go beyond seating. “We’re
dealing with the problem of
the low barrier to entry in
this market by sourcing the
best food, securing the top
locations, and developing the
most comfortable environ-
ments to spend time in,”
Miller says. “We’re not just
targeting the lunch take-
out crowd; we’re after the
clientele who want a relaxed,
casual evening meal.” Almost
half of LemonShark’s busi-
ness is done after 5 p.m., and
With prices on the rise,
“itwillbeinteresting
to see how much
people will actually pay
for top-quality poke.”
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