Poke Restaurant in Southeast Grand Rapids Shutting Down

After four and a half years in business, a poke shop in southeast Grand Rapids is closing its doors permanently.

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Wikiwiki Poke Shop at 1146 Wealthy St. SE shared the news on Facebook this week, saying they will  "keep things going for one last month" so guests "have a final chance to grab your favorite bowls from our menu of classics."

The fast-casual restaurant first opened in winter of 2017. If you're not familiar with poke, its a Hawaiian dish with raw fish that got its start on fishing boats.

Owner Keith Allard explained to Grand Rapids Magaizine in Dec. 2017,

 “Poke means to cut and they would dice up fish and mix it with a few things and make it as a snack."

Wikiwiki Poke Shop serves more than ten different poke bowls, sides like seaweed salad, and variety of daily specials like ramen, ceviche, and other fish-centered items.

Allard wrote when announcing the restaurant's closure,

i'm not sure if our current problems started in wuhan or mark zuckerberg's dorm room, but i do know the cumulative effect is that every day we move a little farther away from the wild creative atmosphere that motivated me to start wikiwiki. this is not a result of a lack of support, as you folks have been tremendous. i simply fear that continuing in this current economic environment will result in these products ceasing to resemble the benchmark for quality i've tried to exceed for five years.⁣

⁣

these past several weeks, i have been profoundly moved to hear what wiki has meant to my customers, and those memories will bring me great joy for the rest of my life. thank you for always allowing me the freedom to innovate in ways that honor the people, memories, and songs that inspired me. many have asked what is next; a nap is certainly in the plans, but after that there will be a wikiwiki-sized hole in my heart and schedule, and if you've got a project you think my talents might be able to add value to, let's chat. ⁣