In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Shannon Allen and Zach Cohen, the founder and CFO of the Miami-based fast-casual concept Grown. Shannon opened this concept with her husband, NBA Hall of Famer Ray Allen, in 2016, driven by the fact that their son Walker was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when he was a toddler and Shannon struggled to find healthy foods served fast that she could feed him. Grown aims to disrupt the restaurant industry by serving fresh, nutrient-dense foods using organic ingredients in a counter-service setting that includes a drive-thru window. Shannon’s big dreams for Grown hit a wall with Covid, but now she’s brought Zach on board and they’ve developed a franchise model leveraging shipping containers that they think can help them quickly scale while keeping costs low. The two joined the podcast to talk about the evolution of healthy eating and why Grown can succeed as a health-forward concept where so many others have failed. 

In this conversation, you’ll find out why:

• Healthy food is more than just a trend for millions of customers
• There is a shift in how Americans are perceiving processed foods 
• Your growth plan today may not be the growth plan your brand needs
• It might be easier to find 100 people who believe in you than to raise $100 million
• If you want to go far, go with someone beside you 
• A turn-key franchise solution offers opportunity for people who previously faced barriers to business ownership
• Your “why” can steer your business through the opportunities that come your way

Have feedback or ideas for Take-Away? Email Sam at sam.oches@informa.com.