Pokeworks is lining up a return to San Antonio, this time targeting the city’s busy Medical Center. The fast-casual poke chain is planning a new outpost at FredMed Plaza, 4343 Medical Drive, with construction expected to kick off over Valentine’s Day weekend and wrap by mid-May. The roughly 2,100-square-foot build-out will turn a pad in the plaza into a space for the brand’s familiar lineup of build-your-own bowls, sushi burritos and Hawaiian-style hot plates. The opening is part of a larger multi-unit push in the area, led by a local franchisee who has committed to several Pokeworks locations around the Alamo City.
Those dates and specs are laid out in a state filing. According to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, Project TABS2026011106 for “Pokeworks / Pizzaworks” at 4343 Medical Dr lists a start date of Feb. 16, 2026 and an estimated completion date of May 16, 2026. The plans call for a 2,100-square-foot interior renovation with an estimated cost of $300,000. The filing names Guzma Tex, LLC as the tenant and FredMed, LLC as the property owner.
Local franchisee signed for multiple shops
Pokeworks and industry outlets reported last year that franchisee Agustin Guzman signed a multi-unit agreement to develop up to ten locations in San Antonio and the Rio Grande Valley, a deal the company highlighted in a press release. The release notes that Guzman already operates a Pokeworks in McAllen and has another location underway in Mission, positioning the San Antonio build-out as one piece of a broader Texas expansion.
Medical Center placement
FredMed Plaza sits on Medical Drive near Fredericksburg Road, in a dense medical and retail stretch that pulls in steady daytime traffic from patients, visitors and staff. It is the kind of corridor where grab-and-go fast casual tends to do well. Leasing materials for the center emphasize strong annual patient visits and a lineup of quick-serve tenants that benefit from the surrounding hospitals and clinics. The new Pokeworks is slated to occupy a roughly 2,100-square-foot interior space that is being finished out for restaurant use, according to the property listing.
Brand background
Pokeworks was founded in Manhattan in 2015 by Mike Chen, Mike Wu and Peter Yang. The company experienced rapid growth after a viral video of its “sushi burrito” pulled in more than 50 million views, according to the brand’s site. The company and recent industry coverage put its footprint in the low 70s of locations nationwide and abroad, with restaurants across the United States, Taiwan and Canada as it continues to pursue new franchise deals.
Not quite the first in San Antonio
Some local coverage suggested the FredMed Plaza restaurant would be Pokeworks’ first San Antonio location. The chain did, however, have a brief stint at The Shops at La Cantera. An article in MySanAntonio documented that La Cantera opening in 2018. Current business listings indicate that site has since closed, so the FredMed Plaza project appears to mark the brand’s return to the market rather than a true debut.
If the state’s timeline holds, the Texas filing’s Feb. 16 start and May 16 completion would set Pokeworks up for a spring opening at FredMed Plaza. Franchisee Guzman confirmed the planned San Antonio rollout to local reporters but declined to give a specific public opening date. Pokeworks and the plaza owner did not provide additional comment through their public channels by publication time.
