---
title: "Island Fin Poké Sells South Florida Market to Local Miami Resident"
url: https://burnaze.com/article/21d3ec70-4f7c-44e2-9d39-23a59f9e2a9a
source: "Franchising.com"
original_url: https://www.franchising.com/news/20220104_island_fin_pok_sells_south_florida_market_to_local_miami_resident.html
category: "Fast casual"
industry: "Restaurants"
segment: "Fast casual"
topics: ["Emerging brands"]
published: 2022-01-04T12:00:00.000Z
modified: 2026-11-01T02:13:03.472Z
image: https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1559136555-9303baea8ebd?w=1600&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop
---

# Island Fin Poké Sells South Florida Market to Local Miami Resident

**TL;DR:** Island Fin Poké sells its South Florida market to Steve Kretsch, a local Miami resident with corporate experience. Kretsch will open three new Island Fin Poké locations in Miami-Dade County over the next three years.

*originally published in Franchising.com on 2022-01-04. [Read the original](https://www.franchising.com/news/20220104_island_fin_pok_sells_south_florida_market_to_local_miami_resident.html).*

## Story

This development deal comes in the form of an area representation agreement Kretsch has secured that gives him exclusive rights to continue expanding Island Fin Poké in his new territory. He will kick off this endeavor by opening three new Island Fin Poké locations in Miami-Dade County, with one location opening per year for the next three years. These expansion plans and the development of three new Miami-Dade restaurants will further position Island Fin Poké as a prominent provider of healthy, customizable, fast-casual options in the brand’s home state of Florida.

Steve Kretsch has had over 30 years of experience in corporate and marketing strategy, consulting, and business development. Before setting his sights on business ownership with Island Fin Poké, he worked in executive positions for several large corporations: American Airlines, Sabre, IBM, and Stolt-Nielsen Limited. After living abroad in London and Rotterdam for much of his career, Kretsch and his wife wanted to retire in the United States and chose to live in Miami due to its international atmosphere and the vibrant lifestyle the city offers.

Although he left his corporate career, Kretsch found his passion for mentoring and set out to build his new business network in Miami. He soon became involved with SCORE, a volunteering mentorship program sponsored by the Small Business Administration, where he first came across the Island Fin Poké franchise opportunity.

“Since relocating to Miami, I knew I wanted to own a small business that not only played an active part of the community, but helped to shape it as well,” said Kretsch. “Miami is the perfect place to start this development because as more and more young people relocate there, their tastes are changing and they want healthier options. The Latin influence in Miami has also made residents familiar with traditional raw seafood dishes like ceviche, so I am confident that a poké concept like Island Fin Poké will have a strong local appeal.”

Island Fin Poké restaurants serve fresh poké (pronounced “poh-kay”), which is like sushi in a bowl. Guests can choose from responsibly sourced ingredients and customize their own poké bowl, with options including over eight proteins, 25 different toppings, gluten-free house-made sauces, and specialty mix-ins. The endless possibilities allow guests to get creative with healthier options and try something new every visit.

“We have seen an increased demand for our build-your-own poké bowls as people have become more vocal recently about the lack of quick and healthy meals,” said Mark Setterington, CEO and Co-Founder of Island Fin Poké.

## Entities

- Franchising.com (publication)
- Restaurants (sector)
- unit expansion (topic)
- Miami (location)
- Island Fin Poké Co. (company)
- IBM (company)
- Mark Setterington (person)
- franchise sale (topic)
- American Airlines (company)
- Sabre (company)
- local market (topic)

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Originally reported by Franchising.com (https://www.franchising.com/news/20220104_island_fin_pok_sells_south_florida_market_to_local_miami_resident.html). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/21d3ec70-4f7c-44e2-9d39-23a59f9e2a9a).