A new Mediterranean-style eatery is on its way to Evans.
CAVA, also known as Cava Grill, is a casual-fast food restaurant chain whose menu options boast all the fixings—from falafel, avocado, hummus and feta to spicy lamb and harissa dressing–for hearty, made-to-order pitas and salad bowls.
The diner started as Cava Mezze in 2006, launched by three Greek American restauranteurs in Rockville, Md. Two years later, after hiring its current CEO Brett Schulman, the restaurant rebranded into Cava Grill and opened its first chain location in Bethesda, Md.
By the fall 2018, Cava Group, had bought Zoës Kitchen, another Mediterranean restaurant chain, based in Plano, Texas, in a $300 million deal. Cava had some 88 locations at the time, according to reports, mostly concentrated on the East Coast and in southern California, while Zoës Kitchen had some 250 restaurants.
Now headquartered in D.C., CAVA currently has more than 300 locations nationwide, its closest to the CSRA being five locations throughout Columbia, Lexington and Irmo, S.C. and, in Georgia, one in Athens, with several in the Atlanta area.
While a spokesperson for CAVA could only confirm that it plans to open a restaurant in Evans, and neither an address nor a projected opening date, the chain did say that it “look[s] forward to welcoming the Evans, Ga. community to our table,” and encourages locals to check its website for updates.
Skyler Andrews is a reporter covering business for The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.