Pokerrito in the Media: Vancouver’s Original Poke Chain Since 2016
When Pokerrito opened its doors in August 2016 on Dunsmuir Street in downtown Vancouver, it was one of the first restaurants in the city to bring Hawaiian poke and Mexican-inspired burritos together under one roof. What started as a bold experiment in fusion cuisine quickly caught the attention of Vancouver’s food media, earning coverage from major publications across the city and beyond.
Nearly a decade later, Pokerrito has grown from that single location into a franchise with 10 stores across Metro Vancouver and plans to expand internationally. Here is a look back at some of the media coverage that helped tell our story from the very beginning.
Major Media Coverage
Vancouver Sun — One of the first major outlets to cover the poke craze hitting Metro Vancouver, the Vancouver Sun featured Pokerrito as part of the wave of Hawaiian-inspired restaurants arriving in the city.
Georgia Straight — The Georgia Straight spotlighted Pokerrito’s unique poke-and-sushi-burrito combo with a full photo feature, showcasing the bold flavours and customizable menu that set us apart from day one.
Daily Hive — Daily Hive profiled Pokerrito as a must-try Vancouver restaurant and later named us one of the Best New Restaurants of Summer 2016, solidifying our place in the city’s food scene.
BC Business — BC Business featured Pokerrito among Vancouver’s tastiest new lunch spots, highlighting our fresh ingredients and quick-service model that made us a go-to for the downtown lunch crowd.
Business in Vancouver (BIV) — BIV covered Pokerrito’s franchise expansion strategy, featuring our approach to smart, methodical growth as we scaled from one location to a multi-unit franchise across Metro Vancouver.
Retail Insider — In 2024, Retail Insider featured an in-depth interview about Pokerrito’s expansion to our 10th location and our plans to bring the brand to international markets, including Mexico.
Food Bloggers and Community
Beyond the major publications, Vancouver’s food blogging community embraced Pokerrito from the start. Local bloggers helped spread the word about our Hawaiian-Mexican fusion concept and shared their experiences with readers across the region.
Vancouverscape reviewed our menu and highlighted the Japanese-Mexican fusion concept that makes Pokerrito unlike anything else in the city. Foodgressing covered our poke bowls and sushi burritos with a detailed look at the customization options. Vancouver Is Awesome (formerly Westender) included Pokerrito in their roundup of exciting new restaurant openings in downtown Vancouver.
From that first Dunsmuir Street location in 2016 to 10 stores across Metro Vancouver today, Pokerrito’s growth has been fuelled by a commitment to fresh ingredients, bold flavours, and a fusion concept that keeps people coming back. We are grateful for every media feature, blog review, and word-of-mouth recommendation that helped build this brand.
Ready to try Vancouver’s original poke chain for yourself? Find your nearest Pokerrito at pokerrito.com/locations and build your perfect poke bowl, sushi burrito, or poke burrito today.