Co-Founder and Former CEO of Sir Kensington's, Mark Ramadan, and CEO of Citycon and Thirty-Year Retail Real Estate Veteran, F. Scott Ball, Join True Food Kitchen's Board of Directors

PHOENIX, Oct. 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, True Food Kitchen, the award-winning, wellness-focused, seasonally-driven restaurant group, announces the addition of two new members to its Board of Directors, Mark Ramadan, former CEO of Sir Kensington's and Hu, and Scott Ball, CEO of Citycon and a veteran of the shopping center industry with more than three decades of experience.

Founded in 2008, True Food Kitchen elevates wholesome dining with craveable, chef-inspired dishes and beverages made with consciously sourced ingredients across its 44 restaurants. With more than fifty years of combined experience, these industry icons will leverage their extensive background to continue to accelerate the brand's growth trajectory.

"We are thrilled to welcome Mark and Scott to our Board of Directors," said John Williams, CEO of True Food Kitchen. "We're gaining two highly respected leaders who are passionate about our mission, our team, and our guests. Their knowledge and experience will be invaluable as we continue to grow and evolve True Food Kitchen."

Mark Ramadan served as CEO of Hu, an award-winning better-for-you chocolate and snacking brand, until June 2023. During his time as CEO, Mark partnered with Hu's founders to dramatically grow its sales, launched many new innovations, and led it through an acquisition by Mondelez, makers of Oreo, Ritz and Cadbury. Prior to joining Hu, Ramadan co-founded Sir Kensington's in 2010 and served as CEO for nine years. The pioneering all-natural, non-GMO, globally-inspired condiment brand is carried by retailers and hospitality brands nationwide and was acquired by Unilever in 2017. Post acquisition, Ramadan continued to drive exponential growth for the brand expanding retail partnerships to include Walmart, Costco and Sodexo. Ramadan graduated from Brown University with a degree in Economics and currently serves on the Board of Directors of New Culture, a revolutionary food technology business developing true dairy cheese, without the cows.

"True Food Kitchen is an inspirational pioneer in creating clean, delicious food served with passion and care," said Ramadan. "I've spent my entire career dedicated to the mission of making healthful food more accessible and sustainable, and I'm honored to have the opportunity to partner with John and the whole True Food Kitchen team as a Board member to help them do exactly this."

With more than three decades of extensive experience in the retail real estate business, Scott Ball is currently the CEO and Vice-Chairman of the publicly listed company, Citycon, the leading owner and developer of urban hubs throughout the Nordics and Baltics. Scott also founded and serves as the Chairman of a private real estate investment and retail advisory firm. Ball previously served in numerous leadership roles including President and COO at Starwood Retail Partners and positions at Oxford Properties, The Mills Corporation and The Rouse Company. Ball holds a Bachelor's degree in business administration from LaSalle University in Louisiana and is a long-time active member of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), Urban Land Institute (ULI) and European Real Estate Association (EPRA) Advisory Board Committee.

"I have been a fan of True Food Kitchen since my first visit to the restaurant over ten years ago. The concept of delicious food and drink which is also good for you, fills a void in today's marketplace," said Ball. "I am excited to work with John, his team, and the rest of the board to bring the concept to an even wider audience."

True Food Kitchen today has 44 restaurants across 17 states with plans to open more next year along with exploration of other avenues of growth. The board of directors, along with CEO John Williams, and the newly appointed Senior Leadership Team will work together to bring True Food Kitchen's vision for delicious real food to more guests in more ways.

About True Food Kitchen

Founded in Phoenix in 2008, True Food Kitchen is a restaurant and lifestyle brand inspired by the philosophy that food should make you feel better, not worse, and that great tasting food and thoughtfully crafted beverages can serve as the foundation for a life well lived. The brand is driven by a passionate collective of accomplished chefs, visionary restaurateurs and a renowned doctor of integrative medicine, who believe delicious dining and conscious nutrition can go hand in hand without sacrificing flavor, creativity or indulgence. True Food Kitchen emphasizes wholesome, simple ingredients with thoughtful preparations to highlight the natural health benefits and flavors of each ingredient. From nutrient-dense staples and carefully sourced proteins to little-known superfoods, True Food Kitchen is committed to sourcing the most responsible, creative and freshest in-season ingredients. True Food Kitchen has 44 restaurants in 17 states, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.

SOURCE True Food Kitchen