Physical Wellness

NBA Player Ray Allen to Open an Organic Fast Food Joint in Miami

By Cheri Cheng | Update Date: Feb 22, 2016 10:32 AM EST

NBA player Ray Allen will be bringing healthier food options to South Miami.

Allen, one of the league's greatest players, and his wife, Shannon, will be opening an organic fast food joint called Grown in March. The restaurant will be located at 8211 South Dixie Highway. The couple said that their inspiration for the restaurant, which has been in the works for six years, came from their nine-year-old son Walker, who has type 1 diabetes.

"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, and 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," Shannon said reported by the Miami Herald.

Allen, a free agent who has not played since 2014, added, "People want to be healthier, eat cleaner and feel better about what they're putting in their bodies. I know this from personal experience, and when Grown opens it will very much be a concept unlike anything else, designed to be accessible by everyone, from the weekend warrior to the soccer mom and anyone in between."

Grown will have nutritious meals that are also affordable. Food items, ranging from juices and smoothies to sandwiches and wraps, could cost anywhere from $4 to $18.

There will also be a drive-thru window and carryout to accommodate people who are in a hurry. The restaurant's motto, after all, is "real food, cooked slow for fast people."

Grown also promises to use the freshest ingredients from its rooftop garden, which spans 1,900-square-feet.

Not only will the food be good for the body, the restaurant, itself, was made with the earth in mind. The restaurant was built using environment friendly materials, which include a façade made from 100-year-old reclaimed barn wood.

This is not the first time that a basketball player has ventured into the health restaurant business in Florida. Cleveland Cavaliers LeBron James and his wife, Savannah, opened The Juice Spot back in 2013. They ended up closing the location last month and reportedly want to open a similar store in Cleveland.

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