Cava Group facts for kids
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| Public | |
| Traded as |
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| Industry | Restaurants |
| Genre | Fast Casual |
| Founded | 2006 (as Cava Mezze) in Rockville, Maryland, U.S. |
| Founders |
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| Headquarters |
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United States
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Number of locations
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382 (2025) |
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Area served
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United States |
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Key people
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| Revenue |  US$954 million (2024) |
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Number of employees
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c. 11,000 (2024) |
Cava, also known as CAVA, is a popular restaurant chain in the United States. It serves delicious Mediterranean food in a quick and casual way. Think of it like a fast-food place, but with healthier, fresh ingredients.
Cava is owned by a company called Cava Group. This company also makes Mediterranean dips, spreads, and dressings. You can find these products in grocery stores across the U.S. Cava Group is now the biggest Mediterranean restaurant company in the United States.
Contents
How Cava Started
The First Restaurant
Cava began in 2006 as a full-service restaurant called Cava Mezze. It was started by three friends: Ted Xenohristos, Ike Grigoropoulos, and Dimitri Moshovitis. They were all Greek Americans and opened their first place in Rockville, Maryland. Dimitri Moshovitis was the main chef.
From Dips to Fast Casual
In 2008, the founders teamed up with Geoff and Kenny Maites. They started making and selling Mediterranean dips and spreads. Their products became very popular and were sold in over 200 stores, including Whole Foods Market.
In 2009, Brett Schulman joined the team as CEO. Together, they decided to create a faster, more casual version of their restaurant. This new chain was first called Cava Mezze Grill, then Cava Grill, and now it's just Cava. The very first Cava fast-casual restaurant opened in Bethesda, Maryland, in January 2011.
Growing Bigger
Cava Group has grown a lot over the years. In August 2018, Cava Group bought another restaurant chain called Zoës Kitchen. This was a big step that helped Cava expand even more. By May 2023, all Zoës Kitchen restaurants had either closed or changed into Cava restaurants.
On June 15, 2023, Cava Group became a public company. This means its shares can be bought and sold on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the symbol CAVA.
Cava Restaurants Today
Cava has many locations across the United States. As of April 2025, there are 382 Cava restaurants. All of these restaurants are owned by the Cava Group. They are not franchises, which means they are all managed by the same company.
Cava also has special kitchens that prepare food only for online orders. This helps them serve more customers who want to order food to go or have it delivered.
