Sunny Ilyas

Founder / CEO at Vale Healthy Kitchen

Speaker

Sunny ilyas is the Founder and CEO of Vale, a rapidly growing healthy, fast-casual restaurant in
Florida that offers high-quality bowls, açai bowls, salads, and wraps accompanied by a full
beverage and bakery selection. As a pre med student at Florida State University in 2014, Ilyas set out to
solve the problem of making healthy food delicious, convenient, affordable offering a wide
variety of options with his vision of Vale.

With limited business knowledge and start-up money, the passion to make a difference
propelled Ilyas forward through the trials and tribulations of balancing going to college, working
three jobs and getting a start-up business operating. He was studying Exercise Physiology and
focused on health and nutrition at Florida State University. Over time, he noticed there was a
gap in Tallahassee’s market for healthy food options. In 2014, he started off by cooking and
operating a meal delivery service, which grew to feeding 500 subscribers.

In 2016, he pivoted into launching the fast casual restaurant model in Tallahassee by opening
his first Vale location in Collegetown. With the success of the college market, he opened two
locations in 2017 – Gainesville and Tampa. In the same year, he was awarded State of Florida
Young Entrepreneur of the Year. The growth continued in 2018 with the opening of a fourth
location in Jacksonville. Vale was honored for Fast Casual Movers & Shakers Top 100 Brand in
the U.S. In 2019, he opened a location in Fort Lauderdale and another in Tallahassee. In 2022,
the brand made its inaugural debut in South Florida with a Brickell location. A year later in 2023,
Ilyas opened its first location in Palm Beach in Boca Raton and Pinecrest. Now, marking a
decade of success, Ilyas proudly opened its 10th location in Delray Beach. Ilyas was recognized
as one of QSR's Young Restaurant Leaders to Watch. Today, he is a powerhouse and continues
to lead Vale’s innovation and growth, from developing new recipes to enhancing the catering
program across all locations.

ABOUT VALE: With 10 locations across Florida, Vale is a dynamic all-day restaurant
specializing in healthy, build-your-own protein bowls, açai bowls, wraps, and smoothies. The
menu is complemented by a full selection of beverages, bakery items, and catering services.
Under the leadership of Sunny Ilyas, Vale offers a health-focused dining experience with options
available for breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily. The restaurant features both indoor and outdoor
seating, providing a versatile dining environment.