SKYROCKETING food chain Cava has opened its first restaurant in Indianapolis, as the growing brand looks to ramp up its reach across the country.
The increasingly popular fast-casual brand’s new location in Fishers, Indiana, is the first of two planned openings in the Indianapolis urban area this year.
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Cava CEO Brett Schulman said: “Our category-defining Mediterranean concept has received a warm welcome in every community we’ve entered and grown in, and we’re excited to bring our vibrant flavors and hospitality to Indiana with the opening of our first Fishers location.”
He added: “We look forward to welcoming the Hoosiers community to our table as we continue delivering on our mission of bringing heart, health, and humanity to food.”
The new location is 3,000 square foot, hosts 40 seats in its dining room and has a digital order pickup area.
Cava, known for its Mediterranean-inspired customizable salad bowls with a focus on health, has been taking off in popularity.
It had 367 restaurants at the end of last year and expects at least 17 per cent growth in 2025.
Its surging growth was seen with its 58 new restaurants throughout the last Fiscal Year.
It operates in 26 states and Washington DC, and aims to have 1,000 location open by 2032.
Cava CFO Tricia Tolivar said that the brand hopes to enter South Florida, Detroit and Pittsburgh markets this year, and emphasised Cava’s strength in new markets throughout 2024.
She said: “We’re seeing great openings, whether it’s Chicago or the 59 other locations that we opened in 2024.
“Our average weekly sales of those restaurants are the best we’ve seen, and [we’re] very encouraged by the success.”
Earlier this year, the chain’s boss announced that it would not feature “kiosks anytime soon” in its stores.
Schulman said that the decision aimed to offer more “human interaction” to its customers and make a more inviting in-store experience.
The opening also comes less than a year after it made its Mid West debut in Chicago – which marked its strongest opening to date.
