Former D-backs MLB Pitcher Todd Stottlemyre Hits a Home Run With His Restaurant

Local poke restaurant Koibito Poké—which was co-founded by former MLB Pitcher and three-time World Champion Todd Stottlemyre, who spent three seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks—was just recognized as one of the Top New and Emerging Franchises for 2023 by Entrepreneur magazine. The ranking highlights some of the strongest companies that have begun offering franchise opportunities in the last five years (since 2018). Koibito Poke was ranked #131.

“We are thrilled to be recognized by this leading publication in the entrepreneurial world,” says Stottlemyre, who not only co-founded it, but is its CEO. “Inclusion on this list was made possible by our hardworking employees and franchisees who have been a crucial key in the growth of Koibito Poke across the nation.”

The Top New and Emerging Franchises ranking is based on information submitted to Entrepreneur for its annual Franchise 500® and is part of the brand’s continuing effort to best understand and evaluate the ever-changing franchise marketplace. Companies featured on the 2023 list have been offering a franchise opportunity for five years or fewer and were assessed across multiple data points, including unit growth, startup costs and fees, training and support, the parent company’s financial stability, and brand strength.

“The franchise industry is full of big new ideas, which is why Entrepreneur‘s Top New and Emerging list is always so exciting,” says Entrepreneur Editor in Chief Jason Feifer. “If anyone’s looking to get in on the ground floor of the next big thing, they should start with the brands we’ve identified—that are all full of creativity, innovation, and accessibility for aspiring entrepreneurs.”

In addition to being published online, the list’s results can also be seen in the May/June issue of Entrepreneur, currently available on newsstands.

Courtesy Koibito Poké

Todd Stottlemyre. Courtesy Koibito Poké