Hawaiian Fast Casual Fish Concept Coconut's Reels In Franchise Deal for LA

You could be forgiven for not having heard of multi-state chain Coconut’s Fish Cafe. The Hawaii-based brand is only just getting started, but already has an outlet each in Kihei, Hawaii; Scottsdale, Arizona, Dallas and Plano, Texas. Now they’re set to go bigger than ever, with a four-location franchise deal coming to Southern California.

Franchisee Ivan Field, a behind-the-scenes food distribution fella, is stepping up to bring the seafood-centric fast casual concept to market in and around Los Angeles. Coconut’s serves a somewhat eclectic mix of shrimp platters, poke, salads, tacos (including steak and chicken), sandwiches, rice bowls, and even pastas — but each with a tropical and slightly more health-conscious appeal. Consider Coconut’s to be a Wahoo’s Fish Tacos competitor, but with a larger menu and cooler beach-shack vibe.

While there’s no timetable yet for a first location, franchising is speeding up for the brand. There are six more units going into Texas within the next two years, and all four LA-area outlets should also be up and running on a similar timeframe. Meanwhile, the CEO of Coconut's himself is bringing the concept to Northern California soon.

Don’t worry, though; it’s unlikely that Coconut’s Fish Cafe will supplant Ricky’s as your favorite fish taco in town any time soon.