On March 2, CAVA elevated industry veteran Doug Thompson to Chief Operations Officer, tasking him with oversight of more than 400 restaurants and field teams nationwide. Thompson joins from Tumble 22 Texas Chicken Joint, where as CEO he doubled unit count and built supporting infrastructure. At CAVA, he will report directly to CEO Brett Schulman and drive execution of the brand’s mission to integrate heart, health and humanity into every guest experience.

Thompson brings over 20 years of leadership at major casual-dining concepts, including COO and VP of Operations roles at Texas Roadhouse, where he steered development of new restaurant concepts and achieved 40 consecutive quarters of positive comparable sales. Renowned for a people-first philosophy, he developed a pipeline of restaurant leaders through targeted coaching and training programs, aligning with CAVA’s emphasis on career pathways rather than hourly employment.

As CAVA prepares to pursue a path to 1,000 restaurants by 2032, Thompson’s mandate includes sustaining high unit-level profitability—new restaurants are already generating annualized average unit volumes above $3 million with restaurant-level margins exceeding 24%. His experience navigating inflationary pressures and optimizing site selection will be central to maintaining momentum in existing markets and expanding into strategic new geographies.