CAVA Deepens Its Midwest Footprint with New Columbus Restaurant

Following its recent Cincinnati opening, CAVA is bringing fresh ingredients and craveable Mediterranean flavors to the capital city, with even more restaurants on the horizon

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--CAVA (NYSE: CAVA), the category-defining Mediterranean fast-casual restaurant brand, opened its doors today at 1370 Polaris Pkwy, Columbus, OH, 43240. CAVA Polaris Pkwy is a 3,660-square-foot restaurant featuring a bright, welcoming dining room, patio seating, seamless digital order pickup, convenient car-friendly pickup options, and delivery designed to meet guests wherever they are in their day.

Columbus guests can now experience CAVA’s satisfying, flavor-forward Mediterranean menu, where every meal is as customizable as it is craveable. Guests can enjoy a chef-curated bowl or pita, or build your own from more than 17 billion combinations to match their mood. From the fan-favorite pita chips and dips to hearty proteins, vibrant toppings, and house-made beverages, there’s something for everyone. Columbus guests can now also dig into CAVA’s newest menu offering: Glazed Salmon – a delicious fillet of salmon marinated in a house-made pomegranate glaze and roasted until caramelized and flaky. Packed with protein, omega-3s, and essential vitamins like B12 and D, Glazed Salmon reflects CAVA’s commitment to expanding its menu with ingredients that deliver quality, flavor, and nourishment.

“Columbus is a city with a welcoming spirit and an energy that brings people together,” said Jeff Gaul, Chief Development Officer of CAVA. “That spirit, where people show up for one another and bond over a shared meal, is exactly what CAVA is all about. We’re excited to introduce our fresh, bold Mediterranean flavors to Columbus and create a welcoming space where guests can gather, recharge, and make CAVA part of their everyday routine. As we continue to grow in the region, we look forward to becoming a meaningful part of the community.”

To celebrate CAVA’s arrival to Polaris Pkwy, CAVA invited guests in for a complimentary meal during its Community Day celebration, accepting donations to support a local cause – matching those donations up to $1,000. Since 2019, this company-wide Community Day program has raised more than $1 million in monetary and food donations for organizations working to combat food insecurity across the country.

Keeping with CAVA’s tradition, the Polaris Pkwy Community Day event raised funds for IMPACT Community Action, a non-profit whose mission is “to fight poverty by providing hope-inspiring help and real opportunities for self-sufficiency.” CAVA also donated fresh meals prepared throughout the restaurant’s training period to local community members. The company's food donation program, launched nationally in fall 2023, helps reduce food waste and expand access to fresh meals as CAVA grows into new communities.

CAVA’s expansion into Columbus follows the recent opening in the nearby suburb of Hilliard and the brand’s entry into Ohio with its first restaurant in Cincinnati this past March. With a goal of reaching at least 1,000 restaurants by 2032, CAVA is rapidly growing its national footprint and deepening its presence across the Midwest. Now operating in 29 states and the District of Columbia, CAVA is on track to open its 500th restaurant later this year, with additional Columbus locations planned in the months ahead.

CAVA’s Polaris Pkwy restaurant will employ 25-40 local people and will be open daily from 10:30 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. CAVA looks for team members who lead with warmth and hospitality, and is committed to creating meaningful opportunities for growth and advancement. The brand offers competitive pay and a comprehensive benefits package, including paid time off, healthcare, early wage access, free CAVA meals, an Employee Assistance Program, and access to free mental health support.

To learn more about CAVA, follow @CAVA on social channels, including TikTok, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook.

About CAVA

CAVA is the category-defining Mediterranean fast-casual restaurant brand, bringing together healthful food and bold, satisfying flavors at scale. Our brand and our opportunity transcend the Mediterranean category to compete in the large and growing limited-service restaurant sector as well as the health and wellness food category. CAVA serves guests across age groups, genders, and income brackets and benefits from generational tailwinds created by consumer demand for healthy living and a demographic shift towards greater ethnic diversity. We meet consumers’ desires to engage with convenient, authentic, purpose-driven brands that view food as a source of self-expression. The broad appeal of our food combined with these favorable industry trends drive our vast opportunity for continued growth.