Cava Franchise FDD, Profits & Costs (2025)

Cava is a Mediterranean fast-casual restaurant brand founded in 2010 by Ike Grigoropoulos, Chef Dimitri Moshovitis, and Ted Xenohristos. The brand aims to bring together healthful and bold flavors, offering customizable dishes rooted in Mediterranean cuisine.

Cava was established to offer an accessible and authentic dining experience that promotes healthy living and ethnic diversity. The company has expanded its reach significantly, with a growing number of restaurant openings each year.

By fiscal 2023, Cava experienced substantial growth in revenue and restaurant-level profit margins, with plans to open between 48 to 52 new restaurant units in 2024. Cava focuses on serving guests from a wide range of demographics and aims to align with consumer trends toward health and wellness.

Based in Washington, D.C., Cava continues to grow as a prominent player in the U.S. fast-casual dining sector. However, it is not currently offering franchises, as all expansions are driven through company-owned restaurant openings rather than franchising opportunities.

Initial Investment

How much does it cost to start a Cava franchise? Cava does not offer franchise opportunities, as all of its locations are company-owned.

Therefore, it is not possible to start a Cava franchise, and there is no associated cost for franchising with the company.

For similar healthy food restaurant franchises in the industry, however, the initial investment is on average $420,000, ranging from $22,000 to $1,469,000.

Here are a few comparable franchises to Cava with their initial investment requirements:

Average Revenue (AUV)

How much revenue can you make with a Cava franchise? Since Cava does not franchise its shops and all locations are company-owned, Cava does not publish a Franchise Disclosure Document. Therefore, it does not disclose the average revenue of its stores.

However, looking at comparable franchises, a similar healthy food restaurant franchise makes on average $603,000 in revenue (AUV) per year.

Below are 10 Cava competitors and their average yearly revenue as a comparison:

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Cava locations are there?

Cava currently operates 325 company-owned restaurants across 25 states and the District of Columbia. The company has no franchise-owned locations, as all restaurants are company-owned.

Cava is actively expanding its presence and plans to grow its restaurant count to 1,000 locations by 2032. In 2023 alone, Cava opened 72 new locations, and it anticipates at least a 15% growth in restaurant openings in both 2024 and 2025.

What is the total investment required to open a Cava franchise?

Cava does not offer franchise opportunities and therefore, it is not possible to establish the initial investment to start a Cava franchise.

However, the total investment required to open a franchised store similar to Cava franchise ranges from $22,000 to $1,469,000.

What are the ongoing fees for a Cava franchise?

Since Cava does not offer franchises and all stores are company-owned, the ongoing fees such as royalty fees or advertising fees associated with franchising the brand are not readily available.

Yet, similar healthy franchises in the industry charge an average of 4%-6% in royalty fees and 2%-5% in advertising fees ( e.g. Zoup! Eatery).

What are the financial requirements to become a Cava franchisee?

All Cava locations are company-owned, and the brand does not offer opportunities for independent ownership or franchising. Therefore, it is not possible to meet any financial requirements or apply to become a franchisee with Cava.

For healthy franchises similar to Cava, financial requirements can vary significantly. Typically, the estimated net worth requirement to open a fast-casual franchise is around $500,000 to $1 million. For liquid capital, the requirements generally range from $200,000 to $500,000.

These estimates can vary greatly depending on the brand, location, and specific franchise requirements. Keep in mind that these figures are industry averages and may not directly reflect the costs associated with a potential Cava franchising model if one were to exist in the future.

How much can a Cava franchise owner expect to earn?

Since Cava is entirely company-owned and does not operate as a franchise, there is no earning disclosure for a Cava franchise.

Now, assuming the average gross sales for a healthy franchise similar to the Cava franchise of $603,000 per restaurant and assuming a 15% operating profit margin, $603,000 yearly revenue would result in about $90,000 EBITDA annually.

Who owns Cava?

Cava is owned by Cava Group, Inc., which operates as a publicly traded company. The founders, Ike Grigoropoulos, Chef Dimitri Moshovitis, and Ted Xenohristos, along with CEO Brett Schulman, have played key roles in its growth and development since its inception. The company expanded its reach by going public, and ownership is now shared among various investors and shareholders in the stock market.

Disclaimer

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