What CAVA does

CAVA Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: CAVA) is a publicly traded fast-casual restaurant chain specializing in Mediterranean-inspired meals built around a customizable bowl, pita, and salad platform. The company operates more than 400 company-owned restaurants across 25+ U.S. states and Washington D.C., with a stated goal of reaching 1,000 locations by 2032 and 74-76 net new openings planned for fiscal 2026. The core menu architecture allows billions of protein, grain, dip, topping, and dressing combinations, supported by vertically integrated manufacturing facilities in Laurel, MD and a 55,000-square-foot Verona, VA plant opened in May 2024 that produce proprietary dips and dressings (Crazy Feta, hummus, tzatziki, harissa, pomegranate glaze).

Revenue is generated through four primary streams: company-owned restaurant sales (dine-in, takeout, and delivery through direct channels and third-party platforms), catering (orders averaging over $150), grocery retail CPG products distributed through Whole Foods, Wegmans, H-E-B, and other grocers, and a newly launched CAVA Shop merchandise e-commerce store (November 2025). CAVA's go-to-market is direct-to-consumer with no franchise model, complemented by digital ordering via proprietary iOS/Android apps, a loyalty program with tiered status (Sea, Sand, Sun) and an industry-first Status Matching feature, and marketing channels spanning organic social, influencer/NIL partnerships, experiential events (Mediterranean Summer Suppers 2026 with Airbnb Experiences), and a "Bowlmates" social-first dating show.

The company was founded in 2010 by Ike Grigoropoulos, Chef Dimitri Moshovitis, Ted Xenohristos, and CEO Brett Schulman, scaled via the November 2018 acquisition of Zoe's Kitchen for $300 million (which grew the footprint from ~70 to 250+ restaurants), completed its NASDAQ IPO in 2023, and crossed $1 billion in annual revenue for the first time in FY2025 with $1.17B reported (+20% YoY). Q1 2026 revenue reached $434.4M (+32.2% YoY) with 9.7% comparable restaurant sales growth, 6.8% traffic growth, and a 25.1% restaurant-level margin. CAVA has made strategic equity investments in restaurant-technology vendors (Hyphen for automated makelines, Owner.com for restaurant SaaS) and recently launched its first seafood protein (Glazed Salmon) in April 2026.

Name

CAVA

Legal name

CAVA Group, Inc.

Website

https://cava.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

CAVA is a publicly traded Mediterranean fast-casual restaurant chain operating 400+ company-owned U.S. locations serving customizable bowls, pitas, and salads, with additional revenue from catering, grocery retail CPG products, and branded merchandise.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fast-Casual Restaurants

NAICS

Limited-Service Restaurants (722513), Food Manufacturing (311), All Other Specialty Food Retailers (445298), Caterers (722320)

SIC

Food And Kindred Products (2000), Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090), Canned, Frozen & Preservd Fruit, Veg & Food Specialties (2030), Wholesale-Groceries & Related Products (5140)

akta.pro primary industry

Mediterranean & Middle Eastern Fast Casual (THAFABAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Healthy/Salad/Grain Bowl QSR (THAFAAAJ), Salad & Bowl Concepts (Grain/Protein/Healthy Bowls) (THAFABAF), Health & Wellness / Functional Fast Casual (macro-counted, high-protein, allergen-friendly) (THAFABAO), Dips, Salsas, Relishes & Chutneys Manufacturing (AFAKADAM)

Keywords

• Mediterranean fast-casual dining
• Customizable bowl restaurants
• Greek-inspired meal chains
• Mediterranean dips and dressings
• Restaurant catering services

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Restaurant Sales: Revenue from company-owned restaurant locations including dine-in, takeout, and delivery orders through direct channels and third-party platforms
2. Catering: Catering programs generating over $150 per order, representing a growing business dining segment with year-over-year sales and traffic growth
3. Grocery Retail Products: Sale of dips and dressings including hummus, tzatziki, Crazy Feta, harissa, and dressings at retail partners including Whole Foods Market, Wegmans, Giant, and other grocery stores nationwide
4. Merchandise (CAVA Shop): Launched merchandise store in November 2025 selling apparel and accessories

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

CAVA operates a chain of 400+ fast-casual restaurants across 25+ U.S. states serving customizable Mediterranean-inspired bowls, pitas, and salads with fresh proteins, grains, dips, and dressings. Beyond dine-in and digital ordering, the company sells its proprietary dips and dressings (hummus, tzatziki, Crazy Feta, harissa) through grocery retail partners nationwide and offers catering and branded merchandise.

Product overview

CAVA is a Mediterranean fast-casual restaurant chain that operates on a single unified platform centered around its restaurant locations and digital ordering ecosystem. The core product is customizable Mediterranean food served in build-your-own bowls, pitas, and salads. Key product lines include: (1) CAVA Restaurants - the core dine-in and takeout business with 400+ locations; (2) CAVA App - mobile ordering platform for iOS and Android enabling pickup, delivery, and rewards management; (3) CAVA Rewards - tiered loyalty program with Sea, Sand, and Sun status levels plus industry-first Status Matching; (4) CAVA Catering - corporate and event catering service; (5) CAVA Grocery - retail consumer packaged goods (hummus, dips, dressings) sold at grocery stores nationwide; (6) The CAVA Shop - merchandise store launched November 2025. Recent product launches include Glazed Salmon (April 2026, the chain's first seafood protein), Hot Harissa Meal with Pita Chip Plushies (August 2025), and the enhanced CAVA Rewards program with Status Matching (October 2025).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CAVA Restaurants
• Build-Your-Own Bowls, Pitas, and Salads
• CAVA App
• CAVA Rewards Loyalty Program
• CAVA Catering
• CAVA Grocery (Retail Dips and Dressings)
• The CAVA Shop
• CAVA Gift Cards
• Glazed Salmon
• Hot Harissa Meal
• CAVA Status Matching

Quantifiable outcome

• Q1 2026 same restaurant sales grew 9.7%, including traffic growth of 6.8%

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Various Loyalty ProgramsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 9 October 2025Industry-first Status Matching initiative allowing CAVA loyalty members to match status from eligible airline, hotel, cruise, retail, and restaurant loyalty programs during October-November 2025 promotion.
• Damascus BakeriescoreOthersFamily-owned business founded in Brooklyn in 1930 producing CAVA's perfectly chewy sprouted grain pita. Third generation owners maintain traditional recipes with modern equipment using seven freshly milled grains.
• Manoli Canoli OlivescoreOthersOlive oil sommelier Stavros Manolakos supplies olives hand-picked from family's groves in Greece's Kalamata and Sparta regions. Longstanding partnership since CAVA's early days with joint growth trajectory.
• Just DateminorOthersFemale-founded company providing pomegranate molasses for CAVA's Glazed Salmon dish. Founded by Dr. Sylvie Royston seeking alternatives to refined sugar using organic pomegranate juice and date syrup.
• Airbnb ExperiencesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for Mediterranean Summer Suppers 2026 featuring three community dining events across the U.S. including experiences in Los Angeles, New York City, and a community-voted city.
• Outstanding in the FieldminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCulinary event partner for Mediterranean Summer Suppers 'Longest Table' event in Los Angeles featuring locally sourced food from Wattles Farm.
• Flavors of the GameminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for 'Winner's Table' immersive dinner experience at Rockefeller Center featuring live culinary experience with celebrated chefs and legendary athletes.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Sweetgreen: Scaled fast-casual chain focused on healthy bowls and salads; closest direct competitor to CAVA in the customizable healthy-bowl category with overlapping target customers and similar digitally-led operating model.
• Chipotle Mexican Grill: Category-leading fast-casual chain with customizable bowls and a digital-forward model; competes for the same health-conscious, on-the-go consumer with a similar build-your-own concept in a different cuisine vertical.
• Shake Shack: Premium-positioned fast-casual chain with strong brand and digital ordering; comparable to CAVA in pricing tier, urban presence, and category-defining brand identity, though differentiated by burger-focused menu.
• Zoës Kitchen: Wholly-owned subsidiary of CAVA Group, Inc. since 2018; a Mediterranean fast-casual concept that overlaps with CAVA's menu and operating model and provides a secondary brand footprint within the same corporate structure.

Broad incumbents

• Panera Bread: Established fast-casual chain owned by JAB with soups, salads, and bowls; competes broadly with CAVA for lunch occasions and healthy-eating occasions but operates across a wider menu and bakery-led model.
• Wingstop: High-growth, digitally-native fast-casual chain; comparable to CAVA in digital-first ordering, off-premise focus, and same-restaurant sales momentum, though differentiated by a single-protein menu.
• Chick-fil-A: Category-leading fast-casual chain with industry-best unit economics and digital ordering scale; competes for the same occasion set as CAVA and serves as the benchmark for fast-casual traffic and loyalty strength.
• Moe's Southwest Grill: Fast-casual Mexican chain owned by Restaurant Brands International; competes with CAVA for the build-your-own bowl occasion and the health-conscious consumer seeking fresh, customizable proteins and grains.
• Qdoba Mexican Eats: Fast-casual Mexican chain with build-your-own bowls and a digital rewards program; directly comparable to CAVA in menu format, ordering experience, and target customer profile.

Emerging players

• Fresh Mediterranean (Freshii): Health-focused Mediterranean and customizable-bowl fast-casual concept; smaller and less mature than CAVA but operates in the same cuisine category with similar build-your-own menu format.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/cava
• Facebookfacebook.com/cava
• Instagraminstagram.com/cava
• TikToktiktok.com/@cava?lang=en
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cava-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CAVA