A 15-year-old national chain with nearly 500 locations is finally making its Northern California debut.
Cava, the fast-casual Mediterranean restaurant known for customizable bowls and pita sandwiches, is set to open its first Bay Area location at Santana Row in San Jose next year, with two additional outposts planned closer to San Francisco, the chain confirmed in an email to SFGATE.
“While we aren’t ready to share exact opening dates or additional neighborhoods just yet, we’re thrilled to finally bring CAVA to Northern California after years of hearing from passionate fans across the region who have asked us to come their way,” Chief Development Officer Jeff Gaul said in the statement.
Cava first shared the news at an Aug. 6 dinner for “fans”; the event in San Francisco’s Presidio was the final installment of the company’s roving Mediterranean Summer Supper Series. The Santana Row location at 3055 Olin Ave., Suite 1035, is the former home of burger joint The Counter, which closed in March.
It’s unclear whether the forthcoming additional openings will be in San Francisco or nearby cities, but Gaul did share that each new Cava is expected to employ 25 to 40 team members. In addition to its Chipotle-like grain and salad bowls, referred to across social media as “slop bowls,” Cava is known for its dips, spreads and other dressings, like red pepper hummus, tzatziki and signature “crazy feta,” which are also sold in supermarkets nationwide, like Whole Foods.
Ike Grigoropoulos, Dimitri Moshovitis and Ted Xenohristos founded Cava in 2010 with CEO Brett Schulman. It operates locations in 28 states, including 45 stores in Southern California. The company’s “community table” vote on social media, which closed July 6, chose the San Francisco area as the winner over Seattle and Salt Lake City for the next expansion of the chain. Bay Area posters clamored for Cava, with one post reading, in all caps “No this is trash do not even open in Seattle,” followed by threats of unpredictable behavior should the chain decide otherwise. “SF or bad things will happen,” shared another passionate poster, @eilasummer.
The company has a goal to open 1,000 restaurants by 2032.
Dining and Cooking