CAVA, the fast-growing Mediterranean chain known for its build-your-own bowls and pitas, has filed a permit for what would be its first Louisville restaurant. The proposed spot would land in Springhurst, inside the same building as McAlister's Deli near Meijer.
The filing was first reported by WLKY, which noted that online records indicate the project has not yet been approved. No opening date has been announced for the Louisville location, and it's not yet clear when, or if, city officials will sign off on the proposal. Residents curious about the permit's status can track it themselves through the Louisville Metro Business Portal, which lets the public search permits and zoning applications by address or permit number, according to Louisville Metro Government.
CAVA has built its following on Mediterranean-inspired bowls, pitas and dips, a formula that's helped it expand rapidly across the country in recent years. The Springhurst filing would put the chain in the same Towne Center Drive corridor where McAlister's Deli already operates, according to the deli's own location listing.
Kentucky Already Has Two Cava Locations in the Works
Louisville wouldn't be the chain's first stop in the state. Cava has filed permits to open two locations in Lexington, which will mark the brand's first restaurants in Kentucky, per kentucky.com. One of those Lexington restaurants is slated for the Hamburg shopping center at 2305 Sir Barton Way, in the former Joella's Hot Chicken space, with an expected opening in spring 2027. A second Lexington permit was filed for 4049 Finn Way, near Nicholasville Road and Man o' War Boulevard.
Cava is also moving into Cincinnati, where it's set to open at 3356 Madison Road in the former Holtman's Donut Shop storefront at Oakley Station, according to WLWT. A company spokesperson confirmed to that station that the Cincinnati restaurant will open in the new year, though no further timeline was provided.
A Chain on a Nationwide Growth Tear
The Louisville filing lands amid a broader expansion push for CAVA. The company reported a 31.3% year-over-year revenue increase to $365.4 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2026, and it has raised its full-year target to 75 to 77 net new restaurants nationwide, both previously reported by Hoodline in its coverage of the Lexington permits. The company's long-term strategy aims for 1,000 U.S. locations by 2032.
Cava opened its 500th location in September, marking its first restaurant in Minneapolis, according to Restaurant Dive. That outlet also reports that up to 30% of Cava's new-unit development is now aimed at wholly new markets, a strategy that tracks with its recent pushes into Kentucky, Ohio and beyond.
The expansion has stretched across the Midwest and South in recent months. CAVA opened its fourth Birmingham-area location in Alabaster on October 26 at 725 1st Street South, Suite 1301, in the Shoppes at District 31 development, per Bham Now. The chain also opened its first Wisconsin location in Greenfield, with another location planned at Hilldale Shopping Center in Madison, according to Chain Store Age. Last year, the company opened or announced locations in Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, Cleveland, Charlotte and Canton, Michigan, as detailed by USA Today.
For now, the Springhurst filing remains just that: a filing. Whether Louisville diners get their own CAVA depends on what happens next with the permit, and the chain has yet to say when that might be.
