Limited by its design, Boise restaurant closes after 5 years. Next? A totally new brand
After nearly five years, a lone spin-off of the Lucky Fins restaurant brand is sleeping with the fishes.
But a fresh concept is coming — as soon as this spring.
Naked Fins, 1120 S. Broadway Ave., has closed permanently in Boise, said Ken Chaffee, VP of operations for Fins Restaurant Group. It had served poke dishes in a fast-casual setting.
Previously a Subway, the building has a limited kitchen, “so our menu was very limited as well,” Chaffee said.
Starting next week, that kitchen will be renovated and equipment will be added, he said, creating more of a “full restaurant” operation.
An entirely new local brand is being developed — also fast-casual — with the eventual goal of opening multiple locations, Chaffee said. Unlike Naked Fins, it will not be part of Fins Restaurant Group. “It’s probably not going to be Fins-related,” he said.
The hope is to debut in mid-May. As is the case with any restaurant under construction, that’s subject to change.
Opened in 2018, Naked Fins served raw, marinated fish in various incarnations: bowls, sushi rolls and tacos. Customers walked up to the counter and chose ingredients, Chipotle-style.
Boise-based Fins Restaurant Group operates two regional seafood chains: Lucky Fins and Smokin Fins. Both are traditional sit-down concepts. Lucky Fins is a popular spot in downtown Boise. It also has a location in Meridian (the original, opened in 2011) and in Greeley, Colorado. In the Gem State, Smokin Fins operates in Idaho Falls. There also are five others: four in Colorado, one in Arizona.
