Dive Brief:
- Cava opened its first restaurant in the Indianapolis market on Friday, according to a press release.
- The 3,000-square-foot location in Fishers, Indiana, a suburb northeast of Indianapolis, is the first of two stores planned in the market this year, the brand said. This restaurant has a 40-seat dining room and digital order pickup area.
- Cava’s entry to the Indianapolis market comes less than a year after it made its Midwestern debut in Chicago, which was its strongest new market entrance to date.
Dive Insight:
Cava’s development strategy focuses primarily on emerging and growth markets, where it has a smaller presence, CFO Tricia Tolivar said during a recent interview with Restaurant Dive. Those units will account for about 70% of the brand’s growth in coming years, with greenfield markets comprising 20%, Tolivar said.
This approach is part of the chain’s goal of reaching 1,000 units by 2032, according to the press release. At the end of 2024, it had 367 restaurants.
According to its most recent earnings report, Cava is expecting to open 62 to 66 new stores in 2025. Given Tolivar’s estimate, about 13 of those stores could be in new markets.
Tolivar said the chain plans to enter South Florida, Detroit and Pittsburgh this year, in addition to its Indianapolis growth.
The brand’s development in 2024, including in new markets, was particularly strong, Tolivar said.
“We're seeing great openings, whether it's Chicago or the 59 other locations that we opened in 2024,” Tolivar said. “Our average weekly sales of those restaurants are the best we've seen, and [we’re] very encouraged by the success.”
Tolivar told Restaurant Dive that the brand was cautious not to overextend itself, given the complexities in opening in a new market.
