Head-to-Head Franchise Intelligence
Cava vs Sweetgreen
Commercial comparison of unit economics, FTC Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) Item 19 average unit volume (AUV), startup capital requirements, and store tech stacks.
Contender 1Rank #58
Cava
Mediterranean Fast Casual
Mediterranean Made Fresh
Parent Holding:Cava Corporation
Contender 2Rank #85
Sweetgreen
Organic Salad & Warm Bowls
Connecting People to Real Food
Parent Holding:Sweetgreen Corporation
Unit Economics & Financial Benchmarks
Verified against FTC FDD Item 19 and SEC Form 10-K regulatory disclosures.
| Metric | Cava | Sweetgreen | Advantage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median AUV (Annual Sales) | $4.59M | $4.50M | Cava (+2%) |
| Active Store Locations | 439 | 281 | Cava (Larger Fleet) |
| Initial Investment Range | $2.20M – $4.80M | $2.20M – $4.80M | Varies by site format |
| Min Liquid Capital Required | $750k | $750k | FDD Item 7 Requirement |
| Royalty Fee % | 4.5% | 4.5% | Equal |
| National Ad Fund % | 3.0% | 3.0% | Marketing Contribution |
| Annual Systemwide Sales | $2.00B | $1.30B | System Scale |
In-Store Tech Stack
Point-of-Sale Hardware/Software
Cava:Toast Restaurant POS
Sweetgreen:Toast POS / Infinite Make-Line
Kitchen Display System (KDS)
Cava:Toast KDS
Sweetgreen:Proprietary Infinite Kitchen KDS
Delivery Multi-Homing
DoorDash Marketplace Penetration
Cava:0% (0 stores)
Sweetgreen:0% (0 stores)
Uber Eats Marketplace Penetration
Cava:0% (0 stores)
Sweetgreen:0% (0 stores)
Need deeper store-level datasets?
Explore individual geocoded address lists, multi-unit franchisee portfolios, and full FDD Item 19 exhibits.