Ray Allen, wife, bringing organic fast food restaurant to Miami

MIAMI, Feb. 22 (UPI) — Sharpshooter Ray Allen is returning to Miami.

This time, instead of point guards, forwards, and centers, Allen is calling on sous chefs, line cooks, expediters, dishwashers, bakers, baristas, and greeters, to join him at his new organic fast food restaurant.

Ray and Shannon Allen will open ‘Grown’ in March at a location in South Miami. The restaurant, inspired by Allen’s son and his battle with diabetes, is located at 8211 South Dixie Highway.

“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 Allen told the Miami Herald.

Chabeli Herrera, of the Miami Herald, reports that the 1,900 sq. ft. restaurant has a rooftop garden, reclaimed barn wood, and even plantable menus.

“People want to be healthier, eat cleaner and feel better about what they’re putting in their bodies,” Ray Allen told the Miami Herald. “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.”

Allen, 40, was drafted No. 5 overall in the 1996 NBA Draft. The 10-time All-Star won championships with the 2008 Boston Celtics and 2013 Miami Heat. He is the NBA’s all-time leader in 3-point field goals, swishing 7,429 attempts.