Pokeworks and Aquamar® Join Forces in the Name of Food Innovation and Giving Back to the AAPI Communities through nonprofit Heart of Dinner

The fast-casual poke chain and the premier surimi manufacturer look to tempt palates while spurring awareness and support of Heart of Dinner

IRVINE, Calif., June 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Pokeworks, the world's leading fast casual poke brand, is teaming up with Aquamar®, one of the premier manufacturers of surimi in North America, to support food innovation through a Limited Time Offer (LTO) Spicy, Crunchy Surimi Bowl. A portion of proceeds from every LTO bowl sold through the summer will demonstrate the brands' shared support for Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities.

Pokeworks is working with Aquamar® to showcase food innovation in a way that will underscore the loyalty of existing customers while tapping new audiences. This partnership will not just be represented in top quality surimi and plant-based seafood offerings in the works, but in the ethos and consciousness around their joint support of Heart of Dinner, a non-profit that serves meals to food insecure Asian seniors in New York.

"Pokeworks opened our first location in Manhattan and we have deep ties to the community. Along with  Aquamar, we both have teams and stakeholders in New York City and feel a mutual responsibility to support AAPI communities and particularly our vulnerable seniors," noted Pokeworks Co-Founder Mike Chen. "We appreciate partners like Aquamar who hold the same high standards for premium quality food, service and social responsibility."

From July through September, more than 60 Pokeworks locations across the country will offer the Spicy, Crunchy Surimi Bowl based on a combination of Aquamar's high-quality surimi mixed with a proprietary spicy sauce. The bowl is garnished with a combination of Pokeworks' hand-prepared vegetables including cucumber, edamame, and green onion topped with crunchy onion and wontons.

Spicy Surimi will also be available for guests to create their perfect Poke Your Way™ bowls and burritos. A portion of proceeds from every Spicy Crunchy Surimi bowl sold during the promotion with a matching commitment from Aquamar® will insure a minimum $30,000 donation for Heart of Dinner, a non-profit dedicated to countering food insecurity and isolation within NYC's elderly Asian American community by delivering care packages of culturally thoughtful hot lunches and fresh produce, lovingly paired with a handwritten and illustrated letter in their native language to bring warmth and comfort.

"We want to represent all the meaning of the word 'feed' in our work, from nourishing people with wholesome, high quality food to serving our community by sharing our successes," Daryl Gormley, CEO of Aquamar. "We look forward to honoring that aspiration in our efforts with Pokeworks from food innovation to menu ideation and beyond."

Aquamar® supplies Pokeworks with surimi made from wild-caught Alaska pollock and other sustainable, high quality fish. Pokeworks is also exploring Aquamar's innovative plant-based seafood offerings, including Vegan Crab Legs.

Aquamar® has decades of surimi seafood experience, proprietary production technology, and operational efficiencies to manufacture premium quality surimi seafood products. We believe that all people should have access to good protein. Our mission is to provide the highest surimi product quality and value, while building customer satisfaction through superior service. Aquamar® has state-of-the-art surimi manufacturing facilities located in Los Angeles area, New York City area, and Seattle area. Our U.S. coast-to-coast operations ensure timely delivery of our premium surimi products to our customers.

Aquamar® is committed to food safety in our production and product storage locations. We believe in sustainable fisheries management, participating in the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification program for our products. For more information visit https://www.aquamarseafood.com/.

Pokeworks is the world's largest and leading fast casual, premium poke brand. Currently at 65 locations, 85 locations are planned nationwide by year-end 2022. Pokeworks provides a super-fresh, healthy, craveable take on traditional poke bowls, burritos, salads, and sides. The brand serves only the highest quality, sashimi grade sustainable fish, proteins, freshly cut veggies, and hand-crafted sauces. Pokeworks' innovative Poke Your Way™ menu allows for complete customization to cater from indulgent to mindful. Menu choices include options for gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan, keto, nut-free, and raw. 

Media Contact 
Erinn Lynch 
[email protected] 
(805) 570-0990

SOURCE Aquamar Seafood