---

In honor of International Women’s Day we spotlight a new addition to Asbury Park’s entrepreneurial pool.

Breana Van Rye, 32, is a Bergen County native who opened Proven Poke [pronounced po-kay] on Cookman Avenue.

The woman that most influenced this corporate woman by day, restaurateur by night – her mother Barbara ‘Bobbie’ Van Rye.

“She’s such a kind soul but she’s a hustler,” Van Rye said. “She gets up every day, she has few jobs and she never lets that get her down. She works at three different jobs and it’s inspirational to watch her do that.”

And while, the younger Van Rye had no culinary background, it was her love of the Hawaiian raw fish dish that prompted the communications consultant to set up shop in the former Frutta Bowls space, between Mogo and Lush.

Now, it wasn’t much of a push, since her boyfriend Carmelo Provenzano owns Proven Muscle, just two doors down. But, nevertheless when Van Rye realized the city didn’t have a poke spot, she jumped at the opportunity to set up shop.

“Asbury is the coolest town in America these days, and what’s a beach town without poke,” she said. “I feel like poke and Asbury have a lot in common. Asbury has this really great energy about it and cool vibe, and I think that pairs well with poke’s Hawaiian aloha vibe. They are both trending right now. Both have rich history but I feel like they are both still growing in popularity and haven’t hit their peak yet. The story is still being written about both.”

She admits that the seasoned raw fish menu is new to many but says once people try it, they will fall in love with it, as she did two years ago.

Van Rye offers the traditional Hawaiian street dish in a number of creative forms that includes building your own bowl or burrito [think oversized sushi], to a list of house favorites and daily specials. The innovation rests in the eye of the patron, who can personalize ingredients and even add Doritos, Fritos, Cheetos or cereal to the mix on any given day.

“It’s really tasty,” Van Rye said of adding crushed chips. “It’s weird but in a wonderful way; you can’t knock it until you try it.”

The sashimi grade fish comes from a sustainably conscious company that uses line caught fish tuna and salmon that is farm raised off the coast of Norway.

“We did a lot of sampling and testing and we wanted to go with someone that practices sustainable fishing because it is so important to preserve the ocean,” she said.

There are meat lovers options, cooked proteins for those who shy away from raw foods, and of course choices for the gluten free, vegan and spicy palate.  

“It’s kind of a different spin on what people may be used to from a sushi restaurant but I think it’s always fun to try new things,” she said. “I just love poke, I just want to share it with people, especially people who like seafood and sushi.”

Van Rye said her family pitched in where they could to help her launch the healthy, fast-casual restaurant that beckons experimentation.

“I’m kind of playing with a tagline – bringing Hawaiian taste to the east coast pace,” she said. “You know we are busy people, we are always looking for something on the go. It’s nice to go to restaurant and sit down but sometimes you just don’t have the time for that. I guess all of that together is the reason behind why I opened the Proven Poke Company.”

Van Rye, employs close to 10 people, most of them local faces you may recognize, who are all knowledgeable about the ingredients and the mixing of flavors. And with no culinary background herself, she relies on her team, who in the short month that they have been open, have become like family, she said.

“Our staff is so friendly and they really do try to help people find what they want,” she said. “They are just awesome and really made me feel great about opening this place. I’m so grateful for the team that I have.”  

And when asked what woman outside of her family she finds most influential, her answer was Angela Ahrendts.

“She’s Apple’s senior vice president for retail and Burberry’s former CEO,” Van Rye said. She inspires me because she’s a wildly successful businesswoman who stays true to herself and her values. She puts a lot of emphasis on people—from her teams at work to her family at home. She’s known for creating cultures that employees want to be part of, while making time to be present at home with her husband and children. Her ability to make it all work is inspiring, as it’s something I hope to achieve, too.”

Proven Poke Co is located at Cookman Avenue. They are open from 10:45 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 10:45 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. BYOB is accepted and delivery is available in the downtown.

For more information, visit the website, Facebook and Instagram pages.

[Food photos courtesy of Andrew Holtz Photography]

———————————————————————————————————

Follow the Asbury Park Sun on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

The Asbury Park Sun is affiliated with the triCityNews newspaper.

---