Shannon & Ray Allen Open Grown: Serving Fast Organic Fare in South Miami

Grown is a new fast-casual restaurant by co-owners and co-creators Shannon and Ray Allen in South Miami. While Ray might be known for his famous 3-pointers when playing for the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics, he is now focused on the new passion project of he and his wife, Shannon.  

Shannon, known for The PreGame Meal television show and accompanying cookbook, is a busy mom of five who tries to feed her family the healthiest and best food possible. She came up with the concept based on her own needs when she was trying to find healthy food on the go as well as low-sugar items for her son Walker, who has Type 1 diabetes.

So she created Grown offers, an organic, fast-food alternative, with a straightforward menu created by Executive Chef Todd Kiley.  The restaurant features an open kitchen, a drive through and even a rooftop garden.  The menu delivers a robust selection breakfast, lunch and dinner items made from locally-sourced ingredients. Image small-batch soups made from scratch, fresh salads, gluten-free baked goods and made-to order cold pressed juice. In line with Shannon’s original concept of feeding families, they are also offering family-style take out meals.

Some people advised us that we didn’t really need to be certified organic, that offering healthy food fast was enough, but it was really important to me,” explains Shannon. “After all, there are only nine certified organic restaurants in the country, and we are the only one with a drive through.”

True to the restaurant’s name, some items will be grown on premises on a rooftop garden where a team of local farmers will cultivate a variety of vegetables, micro greens and salad greens transported to the kitchen via dumbwaiter. Natural materials will be used throughout the restaurant’s design by HKK Architects, who designed the open, environmentally-friendly 1,900 square-foot space.

Practicing sustainability beyond the kitchen, Grown will utilize pulp-free and compostable paper products, 100% recyclable cups, BPA-free storage containers, and plantable menus and kids meal packaging that will excite youngsters to grown their own gardens.

To accomplish the restaurant’s lofty goals the Allens turned to a team of experts they call their “Kitchen Cabinet” which includes Michael Rose of Rose Capital Advisors; Tara Mardigan, Director of Nutrition at Fruit Street Health, co-author of Real Fit Kitchen and former team nutritionist for the Boston Red Sox; Asha Loring, Executive Director of Health in the Hood; Faheem Mujahid, fitness expert master trainer and holistic lifestyle coach; Sally Sampson, founder ofChopChop, The Fun Cooking Magazine for Families and Gabriele Marewski, founder/creator of Paradise Farms Organ.

Follow them on Intagram @grownmiami

Images by April Belle Photos