New Poke Purveyor Sweet Tuna Planned for Perimeter Place

A new restaurant called Sweet Tuna is coming to the former daVia Italian fast & fresh in Perimeter Place shopping center in Dunwoody.  The approximately 2,400 square foot restaurant is well situated within the center and includes a good sized patio.  The restaurant space was originally occupied by Doc Green's Gourmet Salads, a failed salad-centric quick serve restaurant from Martin Sprock of Moe's Southwest Grill fame. 

This will be the first location for Sweet Tuna, a new restaurant riding the wave of poke joints popping up around town. 

Sweet Tuna's "About Us" page does not shy away from the fact that poke is very much a trend.

"What is Poke? 

If you live in any major city, you may have caught wind of the current new "trend" Poke (pronounced POKE-KAY). Although quite a recent phenomenon, Poke has been around for centuries -- and for good reason. This classic Hawaiian dish serves cubed raw fish, served atop steamed rice, seasoned any way you want it." 

Poke, which is essentially deconstructed sushi in a bowl, has seen a sudden surge in popularity with assorted independent operations and would-be chains sprouting up across metro Atlanta.  

That said, there are currently no poke joints in Dunwoody. The closest option, Poke Bar, opened this past fall in Abernathy Square at the corner of Abernathy and Roswell Roads in Sandy Springs.

Sweet Tuna will feature eight choices of protein: tuna, spicy tuna, salmon, albacore, octopus, shrimp, scallops or tofu, along with eight toppings including crab meat, cilantro, cucumbers, onions, corn, garlic, jalapenos and tomatoes.  

The restaurant describes their mission as follows: 

"Sushi has become a staple in modern dining, but amidst our busy lives, having the leisurely sit down experience is often not an option. We believe that fast food does not have to be synonymous with "unhealthy." Our mission is to bridge that gap and to offer our customers a healthy yet delicious alternative."

The healthiness of poke is further described on the Sweet Tuna website as:   

"Gluten free and made in house, all of our sauces are crafted with only the highest quality ingredients available. With backgrounds in fine dining, we pride ourselves in our ability to handle premium raw fish."

Are you surprised at the number of poke joints popping up around Atlanta?  Do you think poke will become the next Fro-Yo, with many offerings at first, and few that remain open? Will poke joints survive?  Where would you like to see a poke joint open next?

Please share your thoughts below.