When Danny Brawer invited Norman Wu to his birthday party when the boys were fourth-graders at Lakeridge Elementary School on Mercer Island, a friendship was formed.
Their bond became tighter as each year passed — through elementary, middle and high school and beyond — and these days the 32-year-olds are living their dream of being entrepreneurs with their successful, fast-growing and health-conscious Just Poké restaurant business.
It’s been a thriving business journey for the best friends, who started and later sold their headhunting and high-end consulting branch of a large printing company in El Segundo, California, between the years of 2013-16.
However, they don’t only measure their success by looking at the bottom line, said Wu, noting that Entrepreneur magazine praised Just Poké on its top 50 list for the business’ advocacy of diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace. He said they possess a strong leadership team that includes women and people of color.
Wu continued, “We’ve talked a lot from the start about building a business that we and our friends and family can be super proud of,” and that includes paying well, offering health care, training and mentorship, focusing on sustainable sourcing, using reclaimed wood in their build-outs and more.
In building their business the right way, they go the “people before profits” route, said Wu, who was thankful to be named to the Puget Sound Business Journal’s 40 under 40 success list over the summer for his work with Just Poké and Bellevue’s Xiao Chi Jie restaurant.
The duo launched its business with a Kirkland location in 2016, and by the close of this year, Wu said there will be 31 Just Poké brick-and-mortar shops spread across cities in western Washington. The fast-casual chain’s menu features rice- and salad-based bowls filled with ahi tuna, salmon, shrimp tempura, roasted sweet potato and more along with copious fixings.
Come the end of November, the business partners — and Mercer Island High School 2008 graduates — plan to have a new Just Poké up and running in Mercer Island Town Center.
“We get so many messages on our Instagram, on our website, ‘When’s the Mercer Island store gonna open?’” said Wu, adding that they found the right location and are excited to bring poké to the Island in a permanent spot. Local residents got a taste of Just Poké from June to November of 2020 when the guys parked their food truck in the Hap’s Burgers & Taps lot.
Wu said that Islanders dug the dishes and the guys were driven to set up shop when the right opportunity arose. That time is now.
Brawer and Wu have had a banner year with their business, which set up Catch by Just Poké behind home plate at T-Mobile Park during Seattle Mariners’ games this season and received the MVP food stand award.
“Lucky for us, what a great season to have as our first season in T-Mobile. Mariners made the playoffs, they’re doing great,” said Wu, who idolized Ichiro Suzuki while growing up. They got one last connection with baseball eaters this season on Oct. 15 during the M’s marathon 18-inning 1-0 loss to the Houston Astros in the playoffs.
Brawer and Wu got hooked on poké during a trip to Maui and then watched as heaps of poké places began popping up all over the Los Angeles area.
“We were like, ‘What is going on with this?’” said Wu, who was devouring poké three times a week and spoke with Brawer about moving back to the Pacific Northwest and bringing poké to the people. They opened their first two restaurants in Kirkland and Bellevue and everything has rolled in their favor from there.
The Just Poké founders call themselves “grinders,” because they put in the maximum time and effort to bring their grand plan of poké success to fruition.
“In order for us to be able to be good, build something, train other people, we have to know how to do everything on a high level,” Wu said about operating in the trenches and putting the work ethic that he and Brawer grasped from their parents into play.
For more information, visit https://justpoke.com/
