{"id":122290,"date":"2022-08-29T14:42:00","date_gmt":"2022-08-29T19:42:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/?p=122290"},"modified":"2022-08-29T14:42:03","modified_gmt":"2022-08-29T19:42:03","slug":"pokemoto-opens-in-oxford-home-of-university-of-mississippi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/pokemoto-opens-in-oxford-home-of-university-of-mississippi\/","title":{"rendered":"Pokemoto Opens\u00a0in Oxford,\u00a0Home of University of Mississippi"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Pokemoto<\/strong>, <strong>Muscle Maker, Inc.<\/strong>\u2019s (Nasdaq:\u00a0<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.globenewswire.com\/Tracker?data=aUJInx7n1y0kPCNUW6vsqlkCLqmQnwgWNAF5gXViuexKZWT4Dn2Snl1s3p8BHkKoTAS0WVsCo02UsDiXULpVmyRVYHuGM1cO5_iQqDpTiCtcFzJfjbtBx9dgvmI8xX5uNUerMNx1r0qAGBGp7ruqwFsBu5xDy1Z23INRUWVnL4lQj3_BSdGINCNgrSiOA2FBr7vdS4LE5IsCjGiXE_jMWhTsjZLeqSO4FsIY3Mwsd9v2m1DnwH7ntiY2sGXib-XR8Eov_UZ2msN_V18EoaLYQZ4ai4t9xpcyEqhA4PDBB6S1YnmHttHelLe8f1lw7FCGzYYFsNnO2Bk0hjssCZtpUAXCy_p57p9HybDJmxZEIA3BclwkXO3fBUdx9arRN3jCetxZrW30oALFtx1rsReuMCZswR5z5iNoKDpa2Nu-vMT11lrRfshODPsZu3sm-M8JKBYgMGd02f1g01oXnOJYD9SgM6cakJfLdtNDLDcSZ7cLuNIO6mLWIsJbyY6reM0HBHzqjCjpbRVG60BhudSm11DiMGMj-VKEkxveIuiQ4YlkJVdV9L7q5tXelJLhtfuATX3ubmumt6d7tOfrMTcOhmWFzLwxzg4vNMR33xx-js5ZaS_yM0xM9QjUb8x8tjMBxQtigls7ZD1matFqVE4sMoY8fnJH6ssct5LDqzUWmfb9OvAOqc3sECrJrZz6OVG_\" target=\"_blank\"><strong><u>GRIL<\/u><\/strong><\/a>) expanding <strong>Hawaiian <\/strong>poke bowl restaurant concept, today announced the grand opening of its first <strong>Mississippi <\/strong>franchise location in <strong>Oxford<\/strong>, Mississippi. The new location is <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps?q=101%20Merchants%20Drive,%20Oxford,%20MS,%2038655\" target=\"_blank\">101 Merchants Drive,\u00a0Oxford\u00a0MS\u00a038655<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The opening marks the first of three previously inked franchise deals in the Mississippi market. Being near \u201c<strong>Ole Miss<\/strong>\u201d provides exposure to Pokemoto\u2019s core targeted audience \u2013 Millennials and Gen Zs. The location features Pokemoto\u2019s brand new interior graphic design package, signage and menu items.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe are very excited to be opening our first Pokemoto location in Mississippi, especially in Oxford &#8211; the home of the University of Mississippi. This opening marks one of our first franchise locations to move through the entire &#8220;sales, training, opening\u201d cycle since we acquired Pokemoto. While it\u2019s great to sell a franchise, it is even more important to get them open\u201d said <strong>Michael Roper<\/strong>, CEO. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOur current strategy focuses on the expansion of Pokemoto through both corporate and franchise locations. Oxford Mississippi is a franchise location with a strong franchise partner who has many ties to the local community \u2013 which we believe is a great combination. I look forward to this week\u2019s celebratory events and beyond.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Charlie Dyer<\/strong>, the <strong>Oxford Pokemoto<\/strong> franchisee commented \u201cProviding vibrant, flavorful dishes with a Korean flair, Pok\u00e9moto\u2019s colorful, whole-foods approach is customizable for each of our guests.\u201d Dyer continued \u201cWhether a customer is calorie-counting, keto-conscious, vegan or prefers the taste of fresh superfoods, Pok\u00e9moto creates healthy, nutritious meals, featuring exciting texture and flavor profiles and I\u2019m excited to serve the great community of Oxford.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Roper continued, \u201cOur Mississippi opening is just the start to what we believe will be a very busy second half of 2022. We have open or coming soon Pokemoto eateries in 13 states, 43 franchise agreements sold to date and 10 locations currently under construction. We continue to expand our sales efforts by adding two new franchise sales managers to our team, pursuing military veteran partners with an aggressive discounted initial franchise fee, expanding our social media presence and working on new ways to communicate with potential franchise owners out there while adding new states where we can sell franchises \u2013 we are open for business!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pokemoto\u2019s strategy focuses on growth through both company owned and franchise locations. Each franchise location sold generates up to $25,000 per agreement when signed as well as an ongoing royalty up to 6% of net sales once opened. Pokemoto franchises offer a low cost of build out, protected territories, little to no cooking, ease of operation and low labor requirements. Poke bowls and boba teas are trending in the restaurant industry space, millennial and Gen Z driven, customizable and totally \u201cInstagramable.\u201d Pokemoto\u2019s goal is to become a significant player in the poke segment of the restaurant industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About Muscle Maker, Inc.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Muscle Maker, Inc. is the parent company of \u201chealthier for you\u201d brands delivering high-quality healthy food options to consumers through traditional and non-traditional locations such as military bases, universities, ghost kitchens, delivery and direct to consumer ready-made meal prep options. Brands include <strong>Muscle Maker Grill<\/strong> restaurants, Pokemoto Hawaiian Poke, and <strong>SuperFit Foods<\/strong> meal prep. Our menus highlight healthier versions of traditional and non-traditional dishes and feature grass fed steak, lean turkey, chicken breast, Ahi tuna, salmon, shrimp, tofu and plant-based options. For more information on Muscle Maker, Inc., visit\u00a0<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.globenewswire.com\/Tracker?data=lSgO4rl0RUe5x4GFnWdrE0JTQWiCrZBsymiD42Gqhu3HnqjnynECIIB4UTQUdItQzHKL4M6BBY8_aJAP9v7f04llXbY6tH_77C855cS3yKX7l4DGe6DYOwA8AklF9J9BaEKKd5u5gw7tqj7H4jft18UReY0gMKNMNOM5gBxLkQDJZqv4AKc9Da2tT8NYc_JtsYmpkCkMusdVSwlQjUQBVaVa7y3JKxdbwe3-h45UxrFRLzEL4V559xNvQ0JB2-DpeAlk0GADp_tMzhygqABV95IythMR2i9qUSjhZOexx4piG-cFceRsR-p0MNnjIEopQwAM1WwmC8Y7baAT12rGZ-m9k_JUfp1oB2Qkd8lNJ9rJpp01R0I9MrtCN8oSMW7jdn8VqcWticDj-VZBBf8DSsgqcsWMLV-TBGSlf6uTB549NBxvEsyXvQMGV0hsccUQe53ilFzdwomn6KLHtyhBW5p01EQHsWEuR1xU2Ou3_BvctVsuc07J4VZrPKY1tU4e4QVIrxnttdai33YA1DlRXfJ1sTtKmDeMTY0QerHP17CrPiFKiCiIIfjo-N0IFC8y0DkeLjLo6mnqFJ82-34cOh8d4Hty6BDVhCNxflITigJx7okb54qvrpj8b0gHGi0Gc59ONO6HCiVgZ-6VOL3jyne0zxkjGJQecuhOCEgDzG2Mza2fUl3EMpM_zNOmqKq973kztDtnOo5N9qDsHSBU9uHbetsc1OvayDGE4OyzT98Fn2CaMsHA1RYxeGEAqNuxM8vUdo2xAkqPghvBYyzfEFkVi6R5dQBZsVRj13uqNpo=\" target=\"_blank\"><u>www.musclemakergrill.com<\/u><\/a>, for more information on Pokemoto visit\u00a0<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.globenewswire.com\/Tracker?data=5Dw6OyLDm5Qe5dEXFtQcHofprufec_sAc1DcrZZOcc9W16ULDiyVMCtuIZkuuYcTCXyPtLjEL_Ba31mrP2aUZl6lFm-Ms_EKT-TeWdhB8OJNc3MX0-MZ9oComTkscq1wR_NjAQAr0CHyrKdoI90TBZYqhhbCDxw7dn6kLIkD3wP3oRK7FJGMEWwqN6Fsj8TDl-K5Ky797JpOyit8EULIQHxLdKyoqzEXiIqLLkcIq4s=\" target=\"_blank\"><u>www.pokemoto.com<\/u><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About Pokemoto<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Pokemoto (<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.globenewswire.com\/Tracker?data=5Dw6OyLDm5Qe5dEXFtQcHq8LTn_pZJKbjMBlJ8D0u14CQQkfD_xHiBEBY9dzPguQOSJtKtmE2tlLCeQL_udUSI5JytKF9ooZTK9xjBoOnqchT_QidpGhJikXxN0zUILrF6O7VFdY-dG2OOR4_IepH-uUAXM9_-touAJdhlbTRtYEAVWQgxYmNNBrW-4qqy2gaTbSoU_e4MjipVqEr-U-W6aQVwCc7TT3OouBAUOtTGk=\" target=\"_blank\"><u>www.pokemoto.com<\/u><\/a>) a Hawaiian Poke bowl concept known for its modern culinary twist on a traditional Hawaiian classic has open or coming soon locations in <strong>Connecticut, Massachusetts, Florida, Maryland, Virginia, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Mississippi<\/strong>, and <strong>Kansas<\/strong>. Pokemoto offers contemporary flavors with fresh delectable ingredients that appeals to foodies, health enthusiasts, and sushi-lovers everywhere. Guests can choose from a list of signature bowls or be bold and build their own unique combination of a base, protein, various toppings and nine different sauces. Vegetarian options are available, and the bowl combinations are virtually limitless. The colorful dishes and modern chic dining rooms provide an uplifting dining experience for guests of all ages. Customers can dine in-store or order online via third party delivery apps for contactless delivery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/TheLocalVoiceLigature-25web.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"25\" height=\"16\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/TheLocalVoiceLigature-25web.jpg?resize=25%2C16\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-14544\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Pokemoto.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"373\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Pokemoto.jpg?resize=640%2C373\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-122291\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Pokemoto.jpg?w=765&amp;ssl=1 765w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Pokemoto.jpg?resize=300%2C175&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/pokemoto-1.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/pokemoto-1.jpg?resize=640%2C427\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-122292\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/pokemoto-1.jpg?w=1000&amp;ssl=1 1000w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/pokemoto-1.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/pokemoto-1.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Pokemoto, Muscle Maker, Inc.\u2019s (Nasdaq:\u00a0GRIL) expanding Hawaiian poke bowl restaurant concept, today announced the grand opening of its<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":238,"featured_media":122292,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17492],"tags":[22282,22280,6663,22281,5,22279,4,22283,22278],"class_list":["post-122290","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-restaurants","tag-charlie-dyer","tag-hawaiian-poke-bowl","tag-inc","tag-michael-roper","tag-mississippi","tag-muscle-maker","tag-oxford","tag-oxford-pokemoto","tag-pokemoto"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/pokemoto-1.jpg?fit=1000%2C667&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/122290","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/238"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=122290"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/122290\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/122292"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=122290"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=122290"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=122290"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}