Pokemoto Continues Rapid Growth - Opens Four New College Locations


Pokemoto, a Subsidiary of Muscle Maker Inc, Opens Four Campus Locations at Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) Growing Footprint by 29%

LEAGUE CITY, TEX., Sept. 15, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pokemoto, a growing Hawaiian poke bowl concept and subsidiary of Muscle Maker Inc (Nasdaq: GRIL) today announced that it has opened as the exclusive food and meal provider at four new locations along with two coffee shops on campuses at Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA). The NightHawk Cafés will offer various grab and go menu items, coffee, breakfast, a snack on the run, or dine-in options with a poke bowl, burrito, or salad.

The four new Pokemoto NOVA locations at Alexandria, Loudoun, Manassas and Woodbridge will continue Muscle Maker’s non-traditional growth strategy and key demographic of the Millennial and Gen-Z crowds while increasing the Pokemoto brands overall footprint by 29%.

Each of the four campus locations will offer contactless, self-ordering kiosks and app-based online ordering through ‘Snackpass’ for safety, efficiency and convenience. All locations also accept any card payment including the College’s NOVACard (via physical card or app). Keeping on par with digital trends, guests can sign up for ‘Pokemoto Text Rewards’ to receive discounts, offers and news about new menu items from Pokemoto.

Located near Washington, D.C., NOVA is the largest public educational institution in Virginia and the second-largest community college in the United States, comprised of more than 75,000 students and 2,600 faculty and staff members.

“Muscle Maker, Inc. acquired Pokemoto a little over three months ago and we’ve already put five new locations on the map; four of which are non-traditional locations right on NOVA college campuses – keeping in line with our core demographic of Millennials and Gen-Zs” said Mike Roper, CEO of Muscle Maker. “Our team is always identifying and visiting store-front and non-traditional locations throughout the northeast and will be announcing new locations when commitments are made. The Pokemoto brand is in expansion mode and looking for partners interested in opening a unique new franchise that boasts low cost of entry, ease of operations and most importantly – delicious, cravable food. The bright social media primed cuisine and chill Hawaiian vibe speak for themselves. Poke is trending in popularity and we’re interested in partnering with real estate gurus and like-minded franchise partners to grow our footprint. We’re thrilled to add NOVA to our list of colleges and universities and look forward to expanding the non-traditional segment of the brand.”

For more information on franchising visit: www.pokemoto.com/franchise

If interested in submitting potential real-estate sites for consideration, please email information to realestate@pokemoto.com

About Pokemoto

Pokemoto has eighteen locations in five states – Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Virginia and Georgia and offers up chef-driven contemporary flavors with fresh delectable and healthy ingredients such as Atlantic salmon, sushi-grade tuna, fresh mango, roasted cashews and black caviar tobiko that appeals to foodies, health enthusiasts, and sushi-lovers everywhere. Guests can choose from a list of signature bowls or be bold and build their own unique combination of a base, protein and various toppings and nine different sauces. Vegetarian options are available, and the bowl combinations are virtually limitless. The colorful dishes and modern chic dining rooms provide an uplifting dining experience for guests of all ages. Customers can dine in-store or order online via third party delivery apps for contactless delivery. For more information on Pokemoto, visit www.pokemoto.com.

About Muscle Maker

Muscle Maker Grill was Founded in 1995 in Colonia, New Jersey and features “healthier for you” high quality, great tasting food, freshly prepared with proprietary recipes. Muscle Maker, Inc. is the parent company of Superfit Foods (www.superfitfoods.com), a Jacksonville, Florida, based fresh-prepared meal prep company focused on delivering dietary specific meals direct to consumer homes or designated pick-up locations. In addition, Muscle Maker, Inc. is the parent company of Pokemoto, a “healthier for you” fresh ingredient poke bowl concept. Pokemoto (www.pokemoto.com) features fresh Atlantic salmon, sushi-grade tuna, fresh fruits and vegetables and propriety recipes. For more information on Muscle Maker Grill, visit www.musclemakergrill.com.

About NOVA

Northern Virginia Community College is the largest public institution of higher education in the Commonwealth of Virginia and one of America's largest community colleges. Founded in 1964, NOVA currently enrolls more than 75,000 students at its six campuses in Alexandria, Annandale, Loudoun, Manassas, Springfield and Woodbridge, and through NOVA Online. For more information about NOVA and its programs or services, call 703-323-3000 or visit the College's Web site, www.nvcc.edu.

Forward-Looking Statements

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