UFood Grill History

Picture of a UFood Grill store

In 1997, a group of Bostonians had an innovative idea to address an emerging consumer need. Tim Kurtz and his wife-to-be, Joli, teamed with fitness center proprietor, Mike Gervais, to create Flex Appeal II, a high quality sports nutrition store. Quickly, the store developed a loyal cult following among fitness enthusiasts.

Soon after opening, the trio decided that their customers also wanted a restaurant where they could find mainstream food prepared in a healthy way. Tim had the perfect food expert in mind, his gym buddy Chris Pappas, who happened to be a chef. The four partners decided to expand their business and create a two-in-one concept that combined a healthy restaurant with an in-house nutrition center. In 1999 Lo Fat No Fat was born in Watertown, MA.

Five years of steady growth passed until one day, George Naddaff, franchising guru and founder of Boston Market, happened to be driving by the store. His curiosity was piqued by the long line curling out the door, so he pulled over to see what all the fuss was about. He was impressed not only by the number of customers and the taste of what he sampled, but also by the two-in-one restaurant plus nutrition center. This was something unlike anything he had ever seen!

In early 2004 George teamed with entrepreneurs Eric Spitz and Gary Jacobus, aquired Lo Fat No Fat, and founded KnowFat Franchise Company, an entity dedicated to growing a chain of better-for-you quick serve restaurant/retail outlets. As the concept grew it retained its loyal following and was loved by the press. Yet, they realized that the concept was not reaching many of the people to whom the offering would appeal.

After careful research, the team changed the name to UFood Grill, emphasizing consumers’ various definitions of healthy eating and placing more of a spotlight on what had always been the most important thing— serving delicious food. Naddaff and his team are now opening UFood Grill locations throughout the U.S. with stores in airports, urban centers, and suburban storefronts. UFood Grill is committed to making it easy for people to eat smart.

UFood Restaurant Group is a publicly traded company (OTCBB: UFFC).