 In August 2017, Kona opened its first international franchise location at Fashion Drive in Monterrey, Mexico.It opened a location at Al Seef in Dubai, UAE that November, and a location in Vaughan, Canada in December 2017.On March 4, 2019, Kona Grill Hired Piper Jaffray to seek a merger or the sale of Kona Grill

On April 30, 2019, Kona Grill filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.