Restaurant founder wants to bring fish taco chain home
The Sacramento Business Journal
One restaurateur thinks there’s still a demand for fish tacos in the Sacramento region, despite the recent closure of the area’s first and only Wahoo’s Fish Taco restaurant.
Need proof of his confidence? He plans to bring 10 to 15 locations of his own fish taco brand here within the next four years.
Enter Michael Phillips, the founder and CEO of Coconut’s Fish Cafe. Though Phillips has lived in Maui for the past 17 years, he’s a Sacramento native who once owned a local pizza chain.
Now, he wants to franchise his Maui-based restaurant in the Sacramento region. “I think the concept is going to be so incredibly popular there,” said Phillips, who founded Coconut’s in 2009.
That’s true despite the ill-fated Wahoo’s, which didn’t last for a full year of business in midtown. Phillips said that restaurant’s location had some problems, including parking challenges. “They did almost everything wrong as a restaurateur,” he said.
Coconut’s serves items such as salads, fish tacos and entrees that combine fish and brown rice. “This is all about eating healthy with profiles and flavors that really explode,” Phillips said. He prides himself on a “California cuisine take on Hawaiian culture food.” The casual restaurants cover about 3,000 square feet and have an island theme.
Coconut’s currently has four locations: two in Texas, and one each in Hawaii and Arizona. Phillips said he’s sold 11 franchise locations, with more on the way.
He’s considering a variety of locations in the Sacramento region, and listed Roseville, Rocklin and possibly El Dorado Hills as examples. The first location will be a company-owned restaurant that Phillips hopes to open within six months of finalizing a site. He’s looking for franchisees for the remaining locations.
Phillips will continue to live in Maui as Coconut’s increases its Sacramento-area presence. His daughter and son-in-law, who live in Rocklin, will take leadership of the local restaurants.