In mid-October, Kona Grill Inc. opened its full service American grill and sushi bar restaurant in the new Mall at University Town Center in Sarasota, Florida. The restaurant combines signature modern design elements across a multitude of dining areas, including a sizable outdoor patio, and also features a signature 700-gallon saltwater aquarium along with other stylish water and fire displays. Located in the new 875,000 square foot multi-level regional retail development, it is the chain’s second restaurant in Florida and the third new restaurant the company has opened in 2014. Then, in late October, the company opened a Kona Grill restaurant at 5100 Avalon Blvd. in the Avalon, a new half-million square foot, sustainably designed, mixed-use lifestyle center, which combines retail, residential, office, and hotel across eighty-six acres in Alpharetta in Georgia. Kona Grill owns and operates 29 restaurants in 18 states featuring a menu of American favorites with an international influence along with sushi in a casually elegant atmosphere. A restaurant in Columbus, Ohio is slated to open before Thanksgiving, which will complete the company’s 2014 development plans.
Also in late October, Kona Grill Inc. reported that its sales for the three month period that ended in late September 2014 increased 22.6 percent to $30-million and same-store-sales grew 2.7 percent compared to third quarter 2013.  “During the third quarter, we experienced healthy improvements in both guest counts and average check,’ said President and CEO Berke Bakay.  “This resulted in our sixth consecutive quarter of positive same-store sales and extended our track record of comparable sales gains to 16 of the last 17 quarters. Kona Grill is well positioned as one of the fastest growing concepts in the industry. We currently have ten signed leases for 2015-2016 development, including six additional lease agreements that were recently executed. Through the combination of a robust development pipeline, strong balance sheet, and outstanding team, we have the pillars in place to support our multi-year 20 percent unit growth plan." The company currently has ten leases signed for new restaurant development. Leases were recently executed for restaurants to be opened in 2015 and beyond in Minneapolis in Minnesota, in Las Vegas, Nevada, in Cincinnati, Ohio, in Houston and San Antonio in Texas and in Arlington in Virginia.  These are in addition to previously announced openings in Miami, Florida, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in Plano, Texas and in Fairfax, Virginia. The company anticipates opening seven restaurants in 2015 with the majority of openings slated for the second half of the year.

CATEGORY:   Full Service

Chain Name:  Kona Grill

Company Name:  Kona Grill Inc.

Street Address:  7150 East Camelback Rd., Suite 333, Scottsdale, Arizona 85251   

Tel:  480/922-8100       Fax:  480/991-6811

Email:                         Website:  www.konagrill.com 

Menu Specialty:

American favorites with an international influence from the made-from-scratch exhibition kitchen including seafood, steaks, pasta, chicken, pizzas, etc., a large sushi bar in a casually elegant atmosphere and a wrap-around patio and bar.

Introduced:  First opened in Scottsdale, Arizona in 1998.  Went public in August, 2005

No. of Locations:  29 restaurants in 17 states: Arizona (Chandler, Gilbert, Phoenix, Scottsdale); Colorado (Denver); Connecticut (Stamford); Florida (Tampa, Sarasota); Idaho (Boise); Illinois (Lincolnshire, Oak Brook); Indiana (Carmel); Louisiana (Baton Rouge); Maryland (Baltimore); Michigan (Troy); Minnesota (Eden Prairie); Missouri (Kansas City); Nebraska (Omaha); New Jersey (Woodbridge); Nevada (Las Vegas); Texas (Austin, Dallas, El Paso, Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio, The Woodlands); Virginia (Richmond).

Areas of Operation: National

Types of Location: 

BusinessType (corp., franchise, jv):   Public Company, Corporately owned restaurants

Size Req’d:  Generally seat about 275

Special Requirements (patio, drive-thru, etc): 

Contact Name:  Berke Bakay – President, CEO
Christi Hing, Chief Financial Officer

REAL ESTATE REPRESENTATIVES:

FRANCHISE REPRESENTATIVES:

PARENT COMPANY: Kona Grill Inc. Scottsdale, Arizona

Related Chains: 

Last Report: Restaurant & QSR Expansion Report #128   Last Update:

NOTES, NAMES & NUMBERS: