Oprah is expanding her empire by moving into the world of food. The mogul has reportedly invested in True Food Kitchen, a healthy restaurant that was originally started in Phoenix by Sam Fox. Not only did she invest in the company, but she will also serve on the board of directors and help the company with their large expansion.
True Food Kitchen already has 23 locations, but they have plans to double that number within the next three years. Oprah was first introduced to the restaurant when she dined at a Santa Monica location with celebrity fitness trainer Bob Greene. She was clearly taken by the concept and how good the food is.
“I love bringing people together over a good meal. When I first dined at True Food Kitchen, I was so impressed with the team’s passion for healthy eating and, of course, the delicious food, that I knew I wanted to be part of the company’s future.”
The next step in the plan was inviting True Food Kitchen CEO, Christine Barone, for dinner at her estate in Montecito, California. Barone explained that they quickly jumped into making plans.
“We discussed the future of True Food Kitchen and our strategy, and our goals to bring this way of eating to more people. I get excited any time anyone is interested in True Food Kitchen, so I was certainly incredibly excited that she loved our brand and wanted to part of our brand. Her involvement is really key to growth and success as we move forward, and we’re excited for her to be on board. She’ll really be providing insight as an incredibly successful businesswoman…We’re looking forward to all she will bring to our team.”
Oprah’s investment and business collaboration will be behind the scenes. She will not be serving as a spokesperson like she has done for weight loss brand, Weight Watchers. True Food Kitchen just revealed a new summer menu along with news of Oprah coming on board. The newest locations have been built in Nashville and Jacksonville, both of which will open up later this year.