One of the hottest food trends continues to grow. It’s coming to Durham’s One City Center.

The Triangle’s sea of poké is about to get deeper.

Pokéworks, a national chain with 20 locations in eight states, will open its first North Carolina location this year in Durham’s One City Center.

The franchise will be owned locally by Andy Lee, who previously worked in the tech industry. Lee said the soon-to-open skyscraper’s prominence downtown made it an attractive spot for the restaurant.

“Downtown Durham in particular is one of the fastest growing areas within Triangle and an ideal place for multi-national foodie culture,” Lee said. “One City Center represents the prosperity of Durham and is a symbol of all this exciting growth; (it’s) an ideal place for Pokéworks to spread healthy and responsible eating trends.”

Poké is a rice or salad bowl built around raw or marinated fish. The dish, invented in Hawaii, is expanding across the country, with a handful of poké-centric restaurants up and running in the Triangle.

The fast-casual menu includes bowls and burritos of tuna, salmon, shrimp, scallops and tofu and flavorings like ponzu and wasabi aioli. In a release, the company said plans for the interior include a nautical theme.

Pokéworks, started in 2015, has 20 locations and has plans for a few dozen more, including one in Raleigh scheduled to open next year. The Raleigh location will also be owned by Lee. The company said two more North Carolina locations are planned.

Lee said he grew up in a restaurant family that was conscious of healthy eating. That inspired him to want to open a Pokéworks, he said.

“We need more healthy and clean options for our communities,” Lee said. “In my previous career as a tech exec, I was lucky to have lots of travel opportunities all around the world and experience different local eats. It re-emphasizes my belief to have a healthy lifestyle young or old.”

With the restaurant planning to open by mid-September, the Pokéworks announcement offers a glimpse into the status of One City Center, the Durham tower that will become the city’s tallest building. So far its restaurant tenants include a new B. Good location and the relocated Bulldega. Pokéworks brings another chain to Durham’s highest profile development.

As for poké, recent additions in the Triangle include Poke Burri, Poke Bar and Poke Go in Raleigh and Hi Poke and a second location of Zen Fish in Morrisville.

They join One Fish Two Fish in Carrboro, Zen Fish in Durham and Raleigh Raw in Raleigh.

This story was originally published July 16, 2018 at 7:30 AM.