--- title: "Island Fin Poké Co. Elevates Female Leadership as Brand Expands" url: https://burnaze.com/article/ae598aa6-dffa-402c-9631-b65fc1769298 source: "Franchising.com" original_url: https://www.franchising.com/news/20260309_island_fin_pok_co_elevates_female_leadership_as_brand_expands.html category: "Restaurants" industry: "Restaurants" topics: ["Development & multi-unit","People"] published: 2026-03-09T12:00:00.000Z modified: 2026-10-31T16:56:45.887Z image: https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1555396273-367ea4eb4db5?w=1600&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop --- # Island Fin Poké Co. Elevates Female Leadership as Brand Expands **TL;DR:** Island Fin Poké Co. is expanding its fast-casual franchise with the help of Taylor and Zoe Setterington, who are playing a pivotal role in shaping its next chapter. The sisters are strengthening franchisee support and preserving the brand's values as it grows nationwide. *originally published in Franchising.com on 2026-03-09. [Read the original](https://www.franchising.com/news/20260309_island_fin_pok_co_elevates_female_leadership_as_brand_expands.html).* ## Story What began as a single family-run shop has grown into an expanding fast-casual franchise. As Island Fin scales, Taylor and Zoe Setterington are playing a pivotal role in shaping its next chapter by strengthening franchisee support, refining operational systems and preserving the values that built the brand from the ground up. Island Fin CEO Mark Setterington, Taylor and Zoe’s father, started the brand by creating sauces in his own kitchen and developing a family-run concept centered on island vibes and customizable, Hawaiian-inspired poké bowls. Today, that vision has evolved into a franchise system supporting operators nationwide with the Setterington sisters helping guide its growth. Under Taylor and Zoe’s leadership, Island Fin Poké Co. invests in franchisee success through a comprehensive onboarding program rooted in its core pillars of Ohana, fresh food and incredible service. The brand’s training blends e-learning, instructional videos and innovative virtual reality modules that allow franchisees to practice key operational tasks. Additional resources, including a step-by-step restaurant opening guide and the brand’s “Three-Legged Stool” philosophy, further support franchisees as they prepare to open and operate their own Island Fin adventure. Taylor’s career with Island Fin began in her teenage years, working as an hourly team member. As the company expanded, so did her leadership. Now, serving as training manager, she leads franchisee onboarding and development, overseeing online training modules and immersive virtual reality programs designed to drive operational consistency and elevate performance across all locations. As the operations manager Zoe Setterington works side by side with franchisees, offering hands-on support and guidance. She serves as a trusted resource for Island Fin’s franchisees, helping them navigate the franchise system and set their locations up for success. “Getting to help our franchisees grow every day is what keeps us moving,” said Taylor. “They’ve invested in our framework, but they’re small business owners whose livelihoods depend on it. What may seem small in the moment can change their entire lives. That responsibility pushes us to perform at our best every day.” Entering franchising as a teenager, Taylor experienced firsthand the challenges of leading a space traditionally dominated by older executives and personnel. “When we began franchising, I was 19,” said Taylor. “I had already been working in the business and growing with it, but sometimes people hesitate to listen to women in their 20s, even if they’ve helped run and scale the company for years.” Despite challenges, Taylor and Zoe have experienced Island Fin’s evolution firsthand, watching the brand grow from humble beginnings into the expanded community they proudly call their Ohana. Their focus is on strengthening support for franchisees while staying true to the founding values and vision that have guided Island Fin from their father’s kitchen to a national franchise. As they build a new framework to sustain rapid expansion, they lead with confidence, representing a rare presence in the QSR industry: young women in leadership shaping the future of the brand. “Being a woman in business means showing up confidently and staying true to who you are,” said Taylor. “Leadership doesn’t look just one way. There’s space for young women in this industry.” ## Entities - Franchising.com (publication) - QSR (sector) - franchise expansion (topic) - franchisee support (topic) - qsr industry (topic) - Island Fin Poké Co. (company) - Mark Setterington (person) - female leadership (topic) - Taylor Setterington (person) - Zoe Setterington (person) --- Originally reported by Franchising.com (https://www.franchising.com/news/20260309_island_fin_pok_co_elevates_female_leadership_as_brand_expands.html). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/ae598aa6-dffa-402c-9631-b65fc1769298).