Sushi bowl restaurant working toward Naperville opening

Zach Friedlander used to work at a restaurant in Wicker Park.

Now the Deerfield native works at his own restaurant, a chain he cofounded called Aloha Poke that's soon to open a location in downtown Naperville.

Poke, Friedlander tells the uninitiated, is a sushi bowl, or a raw fish salad, filled with rice, vegetables and sauces.

"It's very similar to a sushi experience," Friedlander said. "It's quick service. Fast food, fresh food, in a bowl."

Poke (pronounced POH-keh) is popular in Hawaii, and has been emerging as a food trend across the country the past couple of years.

Aloha Poke got its start in March 2016 as a food stand inside a Chicago train station and now has seven locations in the city, one in the suburbs - in Evanston - and another in California. Future openings include four more restaurants in Chicago, three more in California and locations in Minnesota, Washington, D.C., and Wisconsin.

Friedlander tells the growth story simply.

"A friend of mine suggested I should open my own restaurant. After a few conversations, we stumbled across the idea for poke," he said. "Next thing you know, we're building a dozen-plus poke restaurants."

The location in Naperville will be at 215 S. Washington St. in a free-standing storefront that used to house a triathlon store and training facility called Endure It! When Endure It! moved to a space at 504 W. 5th Ave. near the Naperville Metra station, it freed up the building.

Friedlander said Aloha Poke found the spot about six months ago and started working on designs for an interior with subtle pops of color and seating for 24 people.

The company recently got approval for one unusual element of its kitchen design - a dishwasher and sink in the basement. The ceiling height is four inches shorter than the 7 feet required by the international building code for basement kitchens, but the Naperville City Council granted unanimous approval for the restaurant to put the dishwasher and sink there anyway after Fire Chief Mark Puknaitis assured members it poses no safety concern.

Friedlander said placing those appliances in the basement will help keep the restaurant clean and allow a larger space for customers to eat.

Build out of the new restaurant is expected to take between two and three months.