Hyde Park’s emerging dining scene is growing with an influx of recent restaurant openings, including Aloha Poke Co., Nella Pizza e Pasta, and soon, BBQ Supply Co.

Aloha Poke Co. allows diners to customize their own healthy Hawaiian raw fish salad with different options for bowl size, base, fish, and toppings. 

“We’re thrilled that our doors are now open in Hyde Park. The community here is amazing, and we’re excited to provide a quick, healthy lunch or dinner option for residents, students, and businesses in the neighborhood,” Aloha co-founder Zach Friedlander wrote in a statement to the Maroon.

The Chicago-based chain opened its Hyde Park restaurant on October 2 at 5221 South Harper Court. This is its fifth location in Chicago and first location in Hyde Park. The restaurant’s owners also plan to expand to other locations in Illinois and across the country.

The closest dining addition to campus is Nella Pizza e Pasta, located right outside Campus North. Nella Pizza e Pasta originally opened in Lincoln Park five years ago, but relocated to Hyde Park last month. The pizzeria opened September 15 and serves Italian-style pizza and pasta.

BBQ Supply Co., located at 53rd and Kimbark, will open in mid-October, though an exact date has not yet been confirmed. The restaurant serves wood-fired barbecue and Texas-style comfort food in a sit-down setting. It will replace Yusho, a modern Japanese restaurant that closed in July.

BBQ Supply Co. first opened in northern Chicago in 2010. Owner Jared Leonard chose Hyde Park for its second location, citing both its vibrant and creative community and its great market for new food concepts.

According to Leonard, the restaurant is not just for barbecue lovers but for “anyone who loves great food—everyone from people who want to take their parents out to eat to University professors.”