CAVA has named industry veteran Doug Thompson as Chief Operations Officer, effective March 2. In this role, Thompson will oversee all restaurant operations and field teams, supporting the brand’s mission to bring heart, health and humanity to its fast-casual Mediterranean concept. His appointment comes as CAVA pursues rapid unit growth across the U.S., targeting underserved markets and strengthening its operational infrastructure to sustain scaling to hundreds more locations over the next decade.

Thompson brings more than 20 years of leadership experience, including a tenure as COO and Vice President of Operations at Texas Roadhouse, where he delivered 40 consecutive quarters of positive comparable sales and led the development of two new restaurant concepts. He also served as CEO of a regional chicken concept, doubling its footprint and building the systems and talent pipeline necessary for sustained growth. His people-first approach has been credited with cultivating high-performing teams and promoting internal leadership development at every level.

Despite a recent slowdown in mature-store traffic — with comparable sales growth moderating from double-digit levels to under 2% in the most recent quarter — CAVA’s newest restaurants are outperforming industry benchmarks. Newly opened locations are achieving annualized average unit volumes exceeding $3 million and maintaining restaurant-level profit margins above 24%. The brand has also accelerated product innovation, rolling out new menu items such as chicken shawarma and piloting grilled salmon, while leveraging merchandise collaborations through The CAVA Shop to deepen customer engagement and drive ancillary revenue.

Over the past 12 months, CAVA’s share value has retraced by approximately 40%, reflecting broader consumer spending headwinds in fast-casual dining. However, with only 415 locations today and a fully funded plan to reach 1,000 restaurants by 2032, the company stands on solid ground to triple its footprint. By sustaining healthy unit economics, disciplined pricing power and expanding into high-potential markets, CAVA offers investors a combination of margin resilience and significant expansion runway that underpins a compelling long-term growth narrative.