CAVA is gearing up to double down on Tampa Bay, lining up two new fast-casual Mediterranean spots in Lutz and at the Marketplace at Heritage Harbour in Bradenton. The expansion puts the chain's bowls, pitas and spreads in the thick of two busy retail zones near the SR-54 and Sunlake Boulevard intersection in Lutz and the I-75 and State Road 64 interchange in Bradenton. The Lutz restaurant is slated for a high-visibility retail strip, while the Bradenton location slides into a Costco-anchored shopping center that has been steadily drawing national brands. Locals can expect the new CAVA pins to start popping up on delivery apps and map searches as the openings get closer.
Where The New Restaurants Are Headed
The twin Tampa Bay expansion was detailed on Feb. 12, 2026, by the Tampa Bay Business Journal, which reports that CAVA is planning locations in both Bradenton and Lutz. In Bradenton, the planned restaurant is linked to the Marketplace at Heritage Harbour - the Costco-anchored plaza off I-75 and State Road 64 - according to the shopping center's leasing plan from Edgewood Properties.
Lutz Location Already On The Map
Commercial real estate listings point to a 2,500-square-foot CAVA at the corner of SR-54 and Sunlake Boulevard under a long-term corporate lease, with details appearing on industry platforms such as Crexi. Delivery services and online maps already list a CAVA at 2425 Sunlake Blvd., suggesting the Lutz outpost is open or on the verge of serving customers. For instance, Uber Eats currently shows an active ordering page tied to that address.
What To Expect When Doors Open
CAVA's menu leans into build-your-own bowls, pitas and spreads, with a focus on bold Mediterranean flavors and plenty of ways to customize. The company often treats new openings as community moments, with events and food donations that it highlighted in a local release for its Palm Harbor debut. New locations typically offer dine-in, pickup and delivery. In that Palm Harbor announcement, CAVA also notes that it hires from the surrounding area and hosts neighborhood preview events that include a charitable piece.
Busy Corridors And Local Impact
Real estate brokers point to the SR-54 and Sunlake Boulevard corridor as prime territory for fast-casual spots, with strong traffic counts and visibility. The Marketplace at Heritage Harbour, meanwhile, has been slowly building out its roster of national chains, retailers and restaurants around its Costco anchor. The Lutz property listings and market writeups emphasize the heavy daily traffic along State Road 54, and local coverage of Heritage Harbour tracks the ongoing push to fill the center with more dining and service options. For a closer look at the tenant mix and recent additions, see reporting from the Bradenton Herald.
So far, no specific opening dates have surfaced in public records or leasing materials. The Feb. 12 report from the Tampa Bay Business Journal outlines leases and plans but does not attach a timetable. For now, the Journal and local leasing listings remain the most reliable way to track progress, with formal grand-opening announcements likely to come through company channels or plaza communications once the timelines are locked in.
