Mark Setterington’s Journey from Corporate Restaurants to Building the Island Fin Poké Franchise

Mark Setterington’s journey into franchising as the co-founder and CEO of Island Fin Poké began unexpectedly, driven by a desire to share his love for poké and the simplicity of its execution. After a lifetime in the corporate restaurant world, working for brands like Darden and Margaritaville, a conversation with a longtime friend led to the creation of the concept. 

“We were going to open up in Orlando, have two or three restaurants, go to the beach, play golf and work with our kids,” Setterington said. However, the success of their first location in Winter Springs, Florida, shifted their plans. The restaurant’s rapid growth prompted the idea of franchising, which Setterington embraced to share his dream with others. Now, with 21 locations and plans to expand, Island Fin Poké has grown far beyond its original vision.

Setterington credits the company’s success to the lessons learned from past failures and his corporate experience. He believes in following a proven model and emphasizes that franchisees must do the same to succeed. “Our model works one way, and you need to follow it,” he said. “The franchisees who get that are successful, and the ones who don’t struggle.” 

Setterington’s vision for Island Fin Poké involves finding franchisees with the grit and dedication to open multiple units, ensuring they build not only restaurants but a lifestyle that fosters long-term wealth and community engagement.

In a recent episode of “Meet the Zor,” Setterington sat down with Nick Powills, founder and publisher of 1851 Franchise, to talk about his journey from corporate restaurant management to co-founding Island Fin Poké. Setterington also discussed the lessons he’s learned from past failures and his vision for growing the brand with franchisees who are committed to building a strong foundation for long-term success.

A transcript of Setterington’s interview with Powills has been provided below. It has been edited for brevity, style and clarity.

Nick Powills: How did you accidentally fall into franchising? What’s your franchise accident story? 

Mark Setterington: Well, I’m a lifetime restaurant person. All corporate jobs, forever. I started in 1990, after I graduated from Michigan State, with a company out of the Northeast called the Ground Round. I’ve worked for Darden and spent good time with Margaritaville on the strip in Las Vegas. In 2016, a longtime friend — more like a brother — sent me a text message saying, “Hey Mark, I quit my job of 20 years. What are we going to do?”

At that point, I managed five restaurants in Vegas and five in Southern California. In Southern California, poké was on every corner. I loved the food and the concept because it’s simple to execute. I flew Paul [Reas] out to California, and we visited places I liked and didn’t like. On the trip back to Las Vegas, we hammered out the details of what the concept would be. We were going to open up in Orlando, have two or three restaurants, go to the beach, play golf and work with our kids. But that first restaurant in Winter Springs blew up, and someone approached us about franchising. We thought, why not share our dream with others? 

Now, here we are. It’s been good, it’s been bad, and there are things I’d do differently, but I have no regrets. 

Powills: How many units do you guys have today? 

Setterington: We have 21 open. We’ll open two more this year.

Powills: And how many franchisees represent those 21? 

Setterington: We have one company store and 20 single-unit owners right now.

Powills: Did you ever consider becoming an entrepreneur or restaurant operator throughout your time helping others build wealth through restaurant ownership? 

Setterington: Oh, goodness, yes. I opened a bar and failed miserably. It lasted about 18 months. But I learned a lot, and my wife, Terri, was super supportive. When this all came around, she didn’t hesitate. She said, “It’s your dream, go do it.” You need that kind of support to have any success.

Powills: Failure is only failure if you don’t learn from it. I imagine real estate selection, customer acquisition and supply chain management helped in your next venture, even if it was a costly lesson. 

Setterington: A hundred percent. We took over an existing bar with a crappy reputation. In my head, great food and service could overcome that, but it didn’t — especially without a boatload of cash. Our rent was like $9,500 a month, which is outrageous for a sports bar. 

We learned a lot from that experience. When we opened Island Fin, we used the same checklist system we had from corporate restaurants — prep lists, cleaning lists, etc. When the health department came in, the inspector laughed and said, “You guys worked for Darden, didn’t you?” He could tell by how dialed in everything was.

Powills: Did you bootstrap a little on unit one? 

Setterington: Oh, goodness, yes. We worked as project managers in construction and spent six months full-time on the business before opening. Everyone in the community knew us as “Mark and Paul, the Poké Guys.”

Powills: You’ve got 20 single-unit franchise owners. Do they listen to the lessons you’ve learned? How do you translate your experience to them? 

Setterington: Some listen, and they’re the ones who succeed. Others forget why they bought a franchise — to follow a proven model — and try to reinvent the wheel. Our model works one way, and you need to follow it. The franchisees who get that are successful, and the ones who don’t struggle. 

Powills: What question do you wish you had asked struggling franchisees at Discovery Day? 

Setterington: We contemplate that all the time. We’re going to start using StrengthsFinder testing because when you’re in the sales process, it’s like dating — you put your best foot forward. But how do you determine if someone has grit? Jim [Way] in Worcester, our first franchisee, is a perfect example. He worked hard pre-opening but took his foot off the marketing gas. His wife called me for help, and I was in his restaurant two days later. It wasn’t all hugs and kisses — I had to remind him why he was there. Jim’s been up double digits every year since then. 

Powills: You need grit to be franchisee number one. But bootstrapping doesn’t always align with franchising, which is complex when franchise fees and brand standards come into play. Some people think they’re buying a playbook off a shelf, when really, they’re buying a seat in the game. 

Setterington: Exactly. People want success without building the foundation. Look at Chick-fil-A operating partners — they’re some of the hardest-working people in the franchise world. Everyone wants to be Chick-fil-A, but they don’t realize the hours and dedication it takes.

Powills: And with Chick-fil-A, franchisees don’t build equity in their stores—they turn in the keys when they’re done. In your system, they have the opportunity to build something that creates long-term wealth. 

Setterington: That’s exactly right.

Powills: What’s the vision for your brand going forward? 

Setterington: I want to continue to grow, but with the right partners. I’m tired of single-unit franchisees. If you want to build a lifestyle, you need two or three units. I’m looking for more sophisticated franchisees who understand that year one is about building a foundation, not making back your investment.

No one owns the poké segment right now, and I want to be the leader. Our food is incredible, but our service stands out. We don’t have trash cans in the dining room; after you build your bowl, we carry it to your table. We engage with guests. I want more people to experience that.

Powills: Some unsolicited feedback — qualify someone to open three units but award them one. That way, they can scale. Also, put your candidates in a real-world situation during Discovery Day to see how they handle it. Lastly, your messaging needs to align with your vision. When I visit your website, I should see the operational excellence you bring from Darden, not just poké bowls. 

Setterington: That’s awesome feedback. I love it.

Powills: Anything else you want candidates to know? 

Setterington: Just realize why you’re doing this. You’re not buying a job. If you want to spend all day making poké bowls, buy something else. I want you focused on the big picture — working on the business and engaging with your community.

Powills: Thanks, Mark. It’s been great hearing your story.

Setterington: My pleasure, thank you!

Watch the full podcast above or on YouTube.