Cava is finally crossing the Grapevine. The popular Mediterranean fast-casual chain will open its first Northern California restaurant next year at 3055 Olin Avenue, Suite 1035, inside San Jose's Santana Row shopping district, with two more Bay Area locations planned nearby.
The company confirmed the expansion to Northern California directly to KRON4, which first reported the news. Jeff Gaul, speaking for the chain, said the Bay Area has long been on Cava's radar, according to the outlet. Cava has not yet revealed the exact addresses or opening dates for the two additional Bay Area restaurants beyond confirming they will land closer to San Francisco.
The San Jose location fills a space with a rocky recent history. That same Santana Row unit was previously home to custom-burger chain The Counter, which permanently closed following health code violations in March. Santana Row itself, managed by Federal Realty Investment Trust, spans 2.5 million square feet and draws more than 8.5 million visits a year across its more than 50 shops and 30-plus restaurants, per the property's own figures.
Ending a Southern California Monopoly
Until now, every one of Cava's roughly 45 California locations has been clustered in Southern California communities like Westlake Village and Valencia, per KRON4's reporting. The chain, often compared to Chipotle for its build-your-own-bowl format, opened its first restaurant in 2011 and now operates more than 450 locations nationwide with a Mediterranean-inspired menu of grain bowls, pitas, and dips.
Cava previously brought that same community-day model to Valencia Promenade in March and to Westlake Village in May, both marked with free-bowl giveaways as the chain continued its Southern California buildout. Each new Cava restaurant, including the coming San Jose store, is expected to employ roughly 25 to 40 local team members, and the company expects the Bay Area expansion to bring new jobs to the region.
A National Push to 1,000 Stores
The Santana Row opening fits into a much larger corporate ambition. Cava has set a goal of reaching at least 1,000 restaurants nationwide by 2032, up from 459 storefronts across 29 states as of mid-2026, according to Bisnow. In June, the chain announced plans to open 75 new locations and hire more than 2,500 team members across its system by the end of 2026, as reported by Fast Casual.
That growth is backed by strong financials. Cava surpassed $1 billion in annual revenue for the first time in fiscal 2025, fueled by a 22.5 percent jump in total revenue and 72 net new store openings, Inc. Magazine reported. The company went public on the New York Stock Exchange in June 2023, raising roughly $318 million at a $4.7 billion valuation, with shares doubling on their first day of trading, according to Nasdaq.
From Rockville Restaurant to National Chain
Cava's roots trace back to 2006, when it launched as a full-service restaurant called Cava Mezze in Rockville, Maryland, founded by first-generation Greek-American friends Ike Grigoropoulos, Dimitri Moshovitis, and Ted Xenohristos, per Revolution Growth. The trio partnered with CEO Brett Schulman in 2009 to convert the concept into the fast-casual chain now expanding into San Jose. Cava accelerated its national growth in 2018 by acquiring rival chain Zoës Kitchen for $300 million, converting those locations into Cava restaurants across suburban and Sun Belt markets, the Wall Street Journal reported.
The timing lines up with broader shifts in how Americans eat out. The U.S. fast-casual restaurant market was valued at $168 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow to $301 billion by 2032 as diners increasingly seek quick, health-focused options, per Bisnow's reporting. That demand has intensified competition for high-visibility retail spots like Santana Row, exactly the kind of location Cava is now banking on to introduce itself to Bay Area customers for the first time.
