Thu 20th Feb 2020 - Island Poké set for international expansion as it plans 40 sites in next five years Island Poké set for international expansion as it plans 40 sites in next five years: Island Poké, the White Rabbit Fund-backed concept, is to begin international expansion as part of plans to open 40 sites in the next five years. This year Island Poké, which operates eight sites in London, will launch 13 restaurants across Europe, starting with Paris in April. The site is in Rue Saint-Honoré in the 1st arrondissement of Paris. Other openings in France in 2020 will include Nice, Lyon, Montpellier, Marseille and Nantes. Island Poké will also open restaurants in Belgium and Luxembourg in 2021. Island Poké dishes that will make the journey across the channel will include the brand’s classic ahi, vegan ahi, huli huli chicken and yuzu lomi lomi salmon alongside seasonally changing guest bowls. Island Poké is also looking to expand across the UK and explore ways to enter new territories during the coming years. Founded by James Porter in 2015, Island Poké initially operated as a street food stall. It secured the backing of White Rabbit Fund in 2016 and went on to open its first bricks and mortar restaurant in Kingly Street, Soho, later the same year. Its other restaurants are in Canary Wharf, Fitzrovia, City of London, Southbank, Victoria and Shoreditch. Porter said: “We are thrilled to be opening our first international restaurant in Paris this spring along with the further restaurants across France, Belgium and Luxembourg we have planned. We have put a huge amount of effort into ensuring our offering in Paris is every bit as good as our London sites and we’re confident our bowls will find a loyal following among Parisians.”