UConn, NBA Legend And Wife Eye Restaurant’s Return To Connecticut Amid Franchising Push

Foodies who miss the former Middletown eatery “grown” may once again be able to taste its culinary creations here in Connecticut.

In May, the organic fast food restaurant announced its launch of a nationwide franchising program. It currently has just one location, in Miami.

The eatery is the creation of Shannon Allen and her husband, Ray Allen, an NBA champion and Hall of Fame athlete.

This past week, Shannon Allen, founder and CEO, said the response to the May announcement has been “unbelievable,” with the business so far receiving about 100 submissions about potential franchises.

“There has been a surge of interest in organic food,” she said.

The couple plans to start slowly and award only three franchises in 2025, with more to follow in subsequent years.

“Our goal is to find the very best candidates, and we believe in walking before we run,” Shannon Allen said. “We don’t know yet where the three will be. But, we have had interest from potential franchise owners in Connecticut.”

The restaurant team has been vetting applicants and their prospective plans and locations, which takes time, she noted.

“We are enthusiastic and excited to scale the model,” Shannon Allen said.

The couple had wanted to pursue nationwide franchising prior to the global pandemic.

However, COVID-19’s impact delayed those plans. The pandemic caused its Middletown eatery, which was located in Wesleyan’s RJ Julia bookstore, to shutter in 2019, according to Allen.

With the restaurant back to its pre-pandemic position, the couple is again pursuing franchising.

Once the three franchises are picked for 2025, Allen estimates it will take between six months and a year for them to open for business. She said it is too soon to say if a Connecticut franchisee will be picked in 2025, or if it will be later.

The couple has several connections to Connecticut. They own a home in Connecticut, and Ray Allen formerly played for the UConn Huskies before turning pro. The couple has investors from Connecticut, and Shannon Allen serves on the board of directors for Connecticut Innovations, which supports small business owners.

“People in Connecticut are passionate and have been giving suggestions about locations,” Shannon Allen said.

The initial franchising push is nationwide, but eventually, the couple says the restaurant could be in locations beyond the U.S.

The inspiration for the couple’s business came after their son Walker was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes as a toddler.

The family was often on the road while Ray was playing in the NBA, and they were juggling life with five children.

Finding quick and healthy meals for Walker and the rest of the family proved challenging, and Shannon realized there were no fast, affordable options for organic and nutritious food.

The restaurant provided a way to fix this dilemma, not only for their family, but for anyone, according to the couple. Shannon and Ray founded it a decade ago, and they say it is the first USDA-certified organic fast-casual restaurant in the U.S.

“It feels bad when there is no time to get a healthy meal on the table,” Shannon Allen said. “grown has solved that problem in my life and for my family, and now for thousands of busy families.”

According to Shannon Allen, the restaurant is unique. She notes most eateries with drive-throughs don’t have menus offering healthy fare like blackened salmon.

Ray Allen, co-founder and global ambassador, said nutrition was key to preparation throughout his athletic career.

He described the restaurant’s menu as “real food, cooked slow, for fast people.”

The menu features a variety of salads, sandwiches, avocado toast, wraps, soups with flavors like chicken tortilla, and organic baked goods. There is also a kids’ menu with options like gluten free panko chicken tenders.

“Our food is what you would make for yourself if you had the time,” Shannon Allen said. “We offer convenience without compromise.”

For more information on the restaurant and franchising, visit grown.org.