Over the past few years, downtown Indianapolis has developed into a great place to go out for a meal, with restaurants representing cuisine from all over the globe, with classic to new styling and anything in between. As a trusted provider of furniture and fixtures to the food service industry, Facility Concepts is a great resource for this local market. For instance, we helped provide the restaurant design for Ali’i Poke, a new restaurant near the downtown core and IUPUI.
Pronounced “poh-kay”, Hawaiian poke is basically seasoned tuna over a bed of rice. Owner Kam Cheung wanted to bring this unique flavor to Indianapolis because of the local Polynesian community, and he contacted Facility Concepts to help him with the design and décor of his restaurant.
“I knew (CEO) Ken (Weaver) a little bit and we came up with this idea. They made this process so easy for us. That’s what we love about it,” said Cheung.
The location for Ali’i Poke is a big draw for many customers. It is located in a mixed-use complex in downtown Indianapolis with several apartment complexes primarily occupied by students at nearby IUPUI.
Mr. Cheung was blown away with the visuals and the look that FCI was able to provide. Ali’i Poke has both indoor and outdoor seating with a clean, modern look. Facility Concepts participated in the design from the kitchen thru the entire space. FCI even assisted in creating the branding, logos, digital menu boards and the large wall mural that is often a discussion point for many customers.
“We’re actually working on a second location now and FCI took away all that stress of starting a new operation, “said Cheung. “When I visited their facility I was blown away. What they had to offer was a perfect fit for us. We wanted something trendy and new and when I saw their office I knew it was exactly what I needed. They were able to take care of everything. I was able to focus on the other aspects of the business itself. I was confident they would get the right look.”
“I am amazed at how many people have a connection with Hawaii. It is not just from vacationing there, but from living and working there,” said Cheung. “They come in and talked about local places in the islands all from looking at our décor. We often get the question of if we’re a franchise, but we’re not. The résumé that FCI has with providing for franchises speaks for itself and I am confident they are able to provide exactly what I need.”
As far as timing, the restaurant design process took less time than it took for Mr. Cheung to plan the first location. It also helped him plan for the second location, soon to open in Fishers, northeast of Indianapolis. He stated that the process of designing that location took even less time because of his experience the first time around.
“Everything you see here, they picked it! I love it!”
To learn more about how Facility Concepts can help you with your own restaurant design plans, please contact us and let’s talk!
