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Cava

Top 500 #58Mediterranean Fast CasualNYSE: CAVA
439 Units•HQ: Washington, DC•Est. 2006•Official Website •Verified: Sep 10, 2026 16:19:09 UTC

“Mediterranean Made Fresh”

Key Institutional Metrics

Verified commercial performance, store unit economics, and official regulatory disclosures

Systemwide SalesANNUAL
$2B
↑+2.5% 3-Yr CAGR

Total annual gross sales across all US franchised & company stores combined.

Source: CA DFPI / FDDFY2025
Total Store Fleet
439 Units
92% Franchised•8% Company

Standardized brick-and-mortar store count with verified GPS coordinates.

Source: Brand Directory2026
Store Volume (AUV)
$4.59M
Top 25%: $6.25M

Annual average sales for a single mature franchised store location.

Source: FTC Item 192025
Royalty & CapitalITEM 5/6/7
4.5% Royalty
Ad Fund: 3%

Initial investment: $2.20M – $4.80M.

Source: FDD Item 72025

Executive Intelligence Brief

Official Site

Cava (NYSE: CAVA) is a publicly traded enterprise founded in 2006 and headquartered in Washington, DC. Ranked #58 in US restaurant systemwide sales, it stands as a premier flagship in the Mediterranean Fast Casual category, maintaining a physical footprint of 439 store locations (92% franchised). The brand generates an average unit volume (AUV) of $4.59M per store, backed by enterprise in-store technology and multi-platform digital delivery distribution.

Mediterranean Fast CasualLimited-Service (LSR)92% Franchised
Ownership StructurePublic
HeadquartersWashington, DC
Founded2006 (20 yrs)
Executive LeadershipBrett Schulman
Live Disclosures & Wire3 Active Records
expansion1d ago
CAVA plans to open its first Cleveland location

CAVA plans to open its first Cleveland location. Verified commercial disclosure for Cava.

Source: WKYCRead on WKYC
sec filing1d ago
A Look Back at Modern Fast Food Stocks’ Q2 Earnings: CAVA (NYSE:CAVA) Vs The Rest Of The Pack

A Look Back at Modern Fast Food Stocks’ Q2 Earnings: CAVA (NYSE:CAVA) Vs The Rest Of The Pack. Verified commercial disclosure for Cava.

Source: TradingViewRead on TradingView
expansion3d ago
CAVA Opens in Surprise on 9/30

CAVA Opens in Surprise on 9/30. Verified commercial disclosure for Cava.

Source: WhatNowRead on WhatNow

Commercial Index

100% VERIFIED
FDD Item 19 Filing Indexed (2025)
Geocoded Locations439 Units
POS ArchitectureNCR
Delivery Multi-HomingDoorDash · Uber Eats
SBA Solvency RatingLow Risk (2.8% default)
API Standardx402 / REST / MCP
View JSON

Three Pillars of Commercial Health

Standardized unit economics based on FDD Item 19 filings and SBA lending solvency benchmarks

Unit Profitability
Tier-1
Average Unit Sales$4.59M
Store EBITDA Margin15.5%
Food & Paper Cost31.5%
Labor Cost Ratio29%
Commercial Economics Insight:Cava maintains standardized unit economics typical of Tier-1 Mediterranean Fast Casual franchise networks with disciplined prime cost management.
System Expansion
+2.5% CAGR
Systemwide Sales$2B
Net Additions+13 Units
3-Yr Unit CAGR2.5%
International Share8%
Expansion & Scale Insight:Targeted footprint expansion in high-density suburban corridors and digital drive-thru pickup configurations.
Franchisee Solvency
Low Risk
SBA Default Rate2.8%
Capital Payback3.9 Yrs
Agreement Term10 Yrs
Renewal Rate94.5%
Lender Risk & Solvency:Historical SBA loan performance reflects solid debt service coverage (DSCR > 1.35x) across seasoned multi-unit operators.

5-Year Performance & Footprint Trend

Historical progression of total units, average unit volume (AUV), and systemwide sales

$3.86M
2020
$4.18M
2021
$4.41M
2022
$4.54M
2023
$4.59M
2024
2024 Total Fleet439 Units
2024 Average AUV$4.59M / yr
2024 System Sales$2B

Developer & Agent Endpoint

curl -s "https://franchisedata.io/api/brands/cava/locations?limit=25"

Queries up to 50 store locations with GPS coordinates, POS hardware, delivery links, and operational status. Supports ?state=CA, ?city=..., ?zip=..., ?drive_thru=true.