Ray Allen is no stranger to making big shots – the 2013 NBA Finals are evidence of that. But now that the 10-time All-Star has retired, he's setting his sights to something even bigger: the fast food industry.
Allen and his wife, Shannon Brown, just opened up shop in Miami with "Grown," their first foray into the fast food business. What's more, Grown is not just fast food, it's organic and locally sourced. That's pretty rare company. In fact, it's the first such fast food establishment in Miami, and one of just a handful on the East Coast.
Allen can credit Brown for the idea. According to her: "I had an aha moment where I realized I couldn't sit around helpless waiting for someone else to create a fast-food option that met our family's dietary needs. As we did our research it became obvious that this wasn't a struggle unique to us, families everywhere are looking for convenience without compromise."
The couple is hoping Grown provides that convenience. Customers can dine in, carry out, drive-through, or take advantage of grab-and-go options.
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For diners who stick around a bit, Grown has its own rooftop garden, where local farmers cultivate vegetables, greens, and herbs. In addition, the menus and kid's meal packaging can be planted and used as mulch, and the restaurant's interior is furnished with items made of century-old reclaimed barn wood.
In order to create the menu, Allen and Brown enlisted the help of Todd Kiley, who serves as Executive Chef of Rainforest Cafe. Grown has locally-sourced and organic breakfast, lunch and dinner options, ranging from soups, salads, sandwiches, wraps, gluten-free baked pastries, juices, smoothies and coffee.
Since the food is all organic and locally sourced, Allen is able to charge a bit more – prices range from $4 for the cheapest items to $18 for the most expensive.
Allen has never shied away from the spotlight or trying new things. And now his latest business venture seems like it'll be a slam dunk.
