UFood Grill's new look features soft greens and yellows and natural materials such as bamboo.

Former bodybuilders Tim Kurtz and Chris Pappas started the concept as Lo Fat No Fat in 1999 in Watertown, Mass. It featured low-fat, high-protein fare and a retail store that sold supplements. It caught the attention of Boston Chicken founder George Naddaff in 2004, when he saw a line out the door that included not only athletes but also young professionals. He bought the concept in 2005.

Over the last three years, Naddaff has tweaked the brand to dispel the notion that healthful fare lacks flavor and is only for fitness buffs. His adjustments included changing the name to Lo Fat Know Fat and then KnowFat Lifestyle Grill. After working with a consultancy in 2007, Naddaff settled on UFood Grill, changing the logo, prototype and menu. “We scream taste and whisper health,” he says.

Vice President of Product Development and Corporate Executive Chef Efrem Cutler, former executive chef at The Ritz-Carlton in Atlanta, overhauled the menu by boosting flavor profiles while still keeping nutrition in mind. “I really tried to give this menu a healthy, delicious and global aspect to it so I can appeal to many, many palates,” he says.

Because the previous menu was geared toward building muscle, it contained a lot of bland meat items. So Cutler recreated dishes such as Fire Grilled Sirloin Tips. The steak was originally marinated in a vinaigrette that pulled moisture out of the meat. It is now marinated in a red-wine blend that creates a moist, flavorful and tender product, he says.

Ten UFood Grills will open this year, with build-out costs ranging from $300,000 to $700,000 per unit.

UFood Grill's look got a makeover, too. To convey an organic, light feel, the prototype uses soft greens and yellows, and natural materials such as bamboo. The previous look featured a palette of bright orange, red, yellow and black with images of athletes in action.

The company developed three prototypes: a 1,000-square-foot model for nontraditional locations like airports; a 2,000-square-foot restaurant; and a 2,500-square-foot unit that has a restaurant and supplement retail store, which can make up 20 percent of sales. Build-out costs range from $300,000 to $700,000.

Three UFood units opened last year in Boston, Roseville, Calif., and Naples, Fla. One company store will open in Boston, and nine franchised units will open in California, Florida, Illinois, New York, Utah, Pennsylvania and Texas. The company plans to convert the five KnowFat Lifestyle Grills into UFood Grills by the end of June.

UFood Grill has signed area development agreements with eight groups to open 74 units over the next five years in California, Colorado, Illinois, Florida, Utah, Montana, Idaho and Texas.