CAVA announced a significant achievement in the company’s continued national expansion as it commemorates its 500-restaurant footprint. CAVA is currently ahead of schedule and poised to surpass its goal of 1,000 restaurants by 2032.
CAVA marked the moment at its Minneapolis restaurant, which opened today at 622 Washington Avenue SE, and ushers in the company’s entrance into Minnesota, bringing its fleet to 30 states and the District of Columbia. Fifteen years after opening its first fast-casual restaurant in 2011, CAVA enters its next chapter with strong new restaurant performance, continued expansion into new markets, and ongoing investment in menu innovation that expands the possibilities of Mediterranean cuisine for guests.
“Reaching 500 restaurants is a defining moment for CAVA and a reflection of how far we’ve come,” said Brett Schulman, Co-Founder and CEO of CAVA. “It represents the passion of more than 15,000 CAVA team members, the strength of the brand we have built together, and the deep connection our food and hospitality have created with guests across the country. As we look ahead, we remain focused on thoughtfully scaling CAVA while bringing bold Mediterranean flavors, warm hospitality, and a spirit of generosity to even more communities.”
Building the Next 500 CAVAs
As CAVA builds toward at least 1,000 restaurants by 2032, it remains focused on staying true to its roots, bringing the same Mediterranean flavors, healthful ingredients, and sense of human connection that have defined the brand from the beginning to every new community it serves. Its development strategy pairs strong restaurant performance with a disciplined approach to entering new markets, building density and investing in the people and infrastructure needed to scale:
- New restaurants continue to demonstrate strong performance. New restaurant productivity remains above 100%, with new restaurants generating more than $3 million in average annualized sales.
- CAVA is expanding into new markets while building density in existing ones. CAVA’s development strategy maintains a balanced pipeline across established, in-fill, and greenfield markets in suburban and urban areas.
- Each restaurant represents months of planning before opening day. From identifying the right real estate to welcoming the first guest, a new CAVA takes months to open and requires coordination across real estate, design, construction, operations, supply chain and training.
- Extensive preparation helps deliver a consistent CAVA experience from day one. In new markets, approximately 45-50 team members undergo hours of training and preparation, supported by two leads who handle new restaurant openings and 10 station trainers to help ensure guests experience the same high-quality food and warm hospitality in every location.
- CAVA is building its workforce alongside its footprint. More than 15,000 team members work across CAVA today, with the company expecting to employ more than 30,000 by 2032. Through its Flavor Your Future platform, CAVA creates pathways for team members to build careers and advance into leadership roles, developing the next generation of leaders who will help support the company’s continued growth.
“This milestone is the result of years of work building a development engine that can support CAVA’s growth without losing what makes each restaurant special,” said Jeff Gaul, Chief Development Officer of CAVA. “Every opening requires tremendous coordination across teams to identify the right location, design and build the restaurant, and prepare it to become part of a new community. As we look toward our next 500, we’re continuing to strengthen that foundation while staying rooted in the spirit of Mediterranean hospitality – creating restaurants that feel welcoming from day one and are built to serve and connect with their communities for years to come.”
500 Restaurants, 15 Years of Mediterranean Flavor
As CAVA celebrates 15 years of bringing bold Mediterranean flavors to more communities, the brand continues to evolve its menu while staying rooted in the ingredients and flavors that have defined it from the start. With more than 17 billion possible ingredient combinations featuring a variety of proteins, toppings, signature dips, and more, guests can make each meal their own to fit their needs and preferences. Over the past year, CAVA has expanded those possibilities with new proteins like Glazed Salmon and Chicken Shawarma, while continuing to reimagine its iconic pita chips with flavors including Garlic Ranch, Harissa BBQ, and Cinnamon Sugar. These innovations reflect CAVA’s commitment to giving guests new ways to experience the vibrant, craveable flavors of the Mediterranean while advancing its mission to bring heart, health, and humanity to food.
All four of CAVA’s co-founders (Ted Xenohristos, Ike Grigoropoulos, Chef Dimitri Moshovitis, and Brett Schulman) gathered today at the Minneapolis grand opening ribbon-cutting ceremony and presented a charitable donation to The Food Group, CAVA’s official Community Day partner for this opening. Since 2019, this company-wide Community Day program has raised more than $1 million in monetary and food donations for organizations working to combat food insecurity across the country.
As the company enters its next chapter of growth, CAVA will continue expanding across existing and new markets, investing in its teams and infrastructure, and advancing its mission to bring heart, health, and humanity to food.
