Ray Allen can put another job on his resume. The NBA star announced plans to open his first fast food restaurant earlier this week.
Allen’s diner will be named “Grown” and is poised to be more on the healthy side of things. “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,” said Ray’s wife, Shannon. “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.” Grown will be different from other fast food eateries with organically grown products that are from the local community.
Inspiration to open a restaurant that leans more towards healthy living came from Ray and Shannon’s son, Ray Jr., who is a diabetic. The Allens fine tuned the family diet several years ago after learning of their son’s condition, and have engaged in various efforts to inform the community about diabetes and its effects. Ray even spoke to Congress on behalf of his son and millions of others battling with the disease.
“I [went] in there as an NBA player that has a voice,” he said at the time. “I’m a father that wants a cure for my son and his diabetes. The senators got a chance to see the face of diabetes, these little kids who have nothing to do with why they have the disease.”
Grown will open next month and feature various soups, salads, and wraps on its menu. Ray and Shannon Allen parent five kids together.
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