After making a name for himself with two basketball franchises, Kyle Kuzma is adding a third. With this franchise, however, it’s in the restaurant, not on the court, where he aims to have an impact.
Kuzma, who in 2020 won an NBA championship with the Los Angeles Lakers and now looks to lead the Washington Wizards after coming off the highest-scoring season of his six-year professional career, signed a major franchise expansion deal with Mahana Fresh. An emerging concept based in Sarasota, Florida, Mahana Fresh uses a build-your-own-bowl model to serve a variety of rice, noodle and salad bowls, all gluten free.
As a franchisee, Kuzma will open his first location near his home in Tysons Corner, Virginia, followed by a second in Scottsdale, Arizona, and through his master franchise agreement for the Washington, D.C., and Phoenix markets he plans to develop 35 stores.
NBA star Kyle Kuzma inked a master franchise agreement with Mahana Fresh and is also an investor in the company.
“Working with a brand that is in the early stages of expansion is exciting as I have an opportunity to play a direct role in the future growth of the business. Although the prospect of opening multiple stores nationwide is a sizeable undertaking, it also presents the potential for significant returns and I’m looking forward to putting in the work to make it a success,” said Kuzma, who is also an investor in the company with a significant minority interest.
Kuzma, who averaged 21.2 points per game last season with the Wizards and in July signed a four-year contract worth up to $102 million, said he was looking for opportunities in franchising when he learned about Mahana Fresh. “I had a lot of conversations with their team, conducted extensive research and when I visited the store locations, I fell in love with the food and their commitment to providing healthy alternatives,” he said. The concept, he continued, aligns with current consumer preferences, “which also reflect my own lifestyle choices.”
Mahana Fresh, founded by former Domino’s Pizza franchisee Dave Wood, started franchising in 2019 and has seven locations open. It was after playing a game of basketball that Wood was inspired to create the concept as he recalled looking for a fast meal option “that was also good for me.”
“There was nothing that was healthy, but without being an acai or grain bowl. Something more mainstream healthy,” he said.
Mahana Fresh restaurants don’t have fryers, microwaves or freezers, with all items prepared fresh for its entirely gluten-free menu. Customers choose a base of rice (basmati blend, coconut or cauliflower), sesame noodles, spinach or kale, select from several vegetable choices, and then can add a protein such as teriyaki chicken, ahi tuna, sesame garlic tofu or citrus garlic shrimp. The menu also features signature bowls such as the Island Bliss Bowl and Keto Surfer Bowl.
Dave Wood is the founder and CEO of Mahana Fresh.
“There’s a growing trend of people who are trying to reduce gluten in their diet,” said Wood of the move to go gluten free. “We can cater to almost any dietary preference out there.” The variety of bases means Mahana Fresh isn’t just a salad concept, he added. “That gets us away from the veto vote.”
Wood dropped out of college to manage a Domino’s location and when he was 23 opened his first store. He eventually grew his Domino’s to portfolio to about 20 units and ran the business for nearly 30 years before selling and retiring to Sarasota about 10 years ago.
“Retirement and I didn’t get along any better than going to class,” he laughed. In addition to leading Mahana Fresh, Wood is chief strategy officer and a minority shareholder in Hot Chikn Kitchn.
Of the partnership with Kuzma, Wood said he initially had some reservations and made a point of really getting to know the Wizards forward before inking a deal. “I didn’t want to do a deal with someone who I don’t want a long-term relationship with,” said Wood as he noted he was impressed by Kuzma’s own due diligence and that the NBA star spent time in the restaurants.
Wood also called out Kuzma’s philanthropic initiatives—earlier this year he announced a $1 million donation to the YMCA of Greater Flint to build a new gym—and said they align with how Manhana Fresh aims to impact communities where it operates. Kuzma, who grew up in Flint, Michigan, founded The Kyle Kuzma Family Foundation in 2020 with a mission to support single mothers and their children.
Mahana Fresh is the latest addition to Kuzma’s business portfolio, which also includes fashion label Childhood Dreams and recovery sports drink brand Barcode, which he developed with former New York Knicks and Lakers Director of Performance Mubarak “Bar” Malik. Another franchise brand, he said, could be a fit in the future.
“I’ve been building out my entrepreneurial portfolio over the last few years and I’m very particular about the companies I become involved with. There are a lot of factors I take into consideration—the brand mission, the team dynamic, the vision for growth, how we can benefit the community, et cetera,” he said. “So if an opportunity arose in the future with a franchise that makes sense from a strategic business perspective, I’d absolutely be interested.”
The cost to open a Mahana Fresh restaurant ranges from $221,700 to $743,500.