Cava restaurant chain finally enters Twin Cities
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Photo: Nick Halter/Axios
Cava, the fast casual Mediterranean chain, opened its first Minnesota restaurant yesterday in Stadium Village near the U.
Why it matters: Never heard of them? This is the company's 500th restaurant, and the publicly traded chain did nearly $1.2 billion in sales last year. One could be coming to a strip mall near you.
How it works: Guests can choose to make their own grain or salad bowl, or choose from several featured bowls with protein options including falafel, salmon, chicken, steak and lamb.
- Featured bowls range from $12 to $18.
Mayor Jacob Frey attended the grand opening and said he regularly eats at the Cava in Reagan Washington National Airport when traveling to D.C.
- Several Axios Local reporters in cities with Cava gave high marks for the pita chips.
The big picture: The Twin Cities is often an early expansion market for fast casual chains, dating back to Chipotle choosing Minnesota as one of its first handful of markets beyond Denver.
What they're saying: Co-founder and CEO Brett Schulman told Axios the Washington D.C.-based company picked Southern California as its first expansion market, then acquired another chain that was heavy in the Sun Belt. It turned its focus to the Midwest last year.
Yes, but: While Cava wasn't here, similar Mediterranean fast casual chains moved in, including Naf Naf Grill and Roti, the latter of which is next door to the new Cava.
- There are also several local groups, including Baba's Hummus House and World Street Kitchen.
What they're saying: "This is a fast-growing category. It's a big category, and so there's plenty of room for other operators," Schulman said.
What's ahead: A second location will open in Blaine later this year, followed by 2027 openings in St. Louis Park, Eden Prairie and Wayzata, the company said.