In 2011, Nalley opened his first Nalley Fresh restaurant on Baltimore Street by applying the customization aspect of restaurants like Chipotle to a more diverse and healthy food profile.
His eighth Nalley Fresh restaurant just opened its doors in Columbia and strong demand for the unique salads, bowls and wraps that the burgeoning chain offers has inspired plans for further expansion.
Soon after his diagnosis, Nalley opened his first restaurant in Tide Point called Harvest Table, a hit among the neighboring Under Armour community.
But it is unlikely that any of it would have happened if the life-changing news Nalley received in 2001 had not inspired him to take the leap and pursue his longtime dream of running his own restaurant.
In 2012, Nalley opened his second location in Hunt Valley where he gained interest from Phil and Brad Hoag.
Nalley Fresh has also added a customer loyalty program to reward customers who frequent the restaurant.
Nalley is partnering with a local fitness center to develop a custom meal so members of the fitness center can order knowing it is approved by their trainer.
Nalley later sold Harvest Table and began rescuing troubled restaurants through consulting and acquisitions.
After 20 years in the culinary business, Greg Nalley has finally become what he calls an overnight success.
But even a late-stage cancer diagnosis didn't stop Greg Nalley from following his passion.
Then, the 54-year-old father of three came up with the idea for Nalley Fresh when he was with his kids.
When asked about the future growth of his company, Nalley smiles and says he has more dreams that he thinks could come to fruition.
Although his path has been anything but direct, Nalley currently oversees an expanding empire in the Baltimore area.
"I don't see any reason why Nalley Fresh can't be a viable player in the fast-casual market," Nalley said.