Lexington is getting its first taste of CAVA, with the Mediterranean fast-casual chain filing permits to open two restaurants in the city — one in the Hamburg shopping center and another at The Summit at Fritz Farm. It will mark the chain's debut in Kentucky.
According to the Lexington Herald-Leader, CAVA has filed a permit to open a 3,200-square-foot restaurant at 2305 Sir Barton Way in the Hamburg shopping center, taking over the former Joella's Hot Chicken space next to BD's Mongolian Grill. The chain did not immediately respond to the newspaper's request for additional restaurant details. Hamburg developer Patrick Madden told the Herald-Leader the location is expected to open in spring 2027.
Joella's Hot Chicken closed its Sir Barton Way restaurant in February, while the Indianapolis Business Journal reported the closure of Joella's Broad Ripple restaurant. Joella's had previously operated five Kentucky locations before scaling back. The Hamburg storefront itself sits within a 1-million-square-foot shopping center built on land originally established in 1898 as a historic thoroughbred horse farm named for a champion stallion sold by horse trainer John E. Madden, per Wikipedia.
A Second Lexington Spot Takes Shape at Fritz Farm
CAVA has also filed a permit for a second Lexington restaurant at 4049 Finn Way at The Summit at Fritz Farm, located just off Nicholasville Road and Man o' War Boulevard, the Herald-Leader reports. A spokeswoman for Fritz Farm was not able to say when that location is expected to open. A $14.1 million retail expansion adding more than 30,000 square feet of commercial space along Rowan, Finn, and Harrison streets was scheduled to begin in March, following developer Hendricks Commercial Properties' acquisition of the center in May 2025.
CAVA was founded in 2010 by childhood friends Ike Grigoropoulos, chef Dimitri Moshovitis and Ted Xenochristos, with Brett Schulman serving as CEO. The chain now operates more than 400 restaurants nationwide, built around build-your-own salads, grain bowls and pitas with a range of protein and plant-based options. Its menu leans on Mediterranean staples such as feta, pickled onions, falafel and harissa, alongside dips including crazy feta and whipped feta with jalapeño, onion and olive oil. Fan-favorite pita chips, kids' meals, desserts, drinks and catering round out the offerings.
Rapid Growth Fuels a Push Into New Markets
The Lexington filings arrive as CAVA rides a stretch of strong financial results. In the second quarter of fiscal 2026, the company reported a 31.3% year-over-year revenue increase to $365.4 million, driven by a 9% rise in same-restaurant sales, according to QSR Magazine. Average unit volume climbed to $3.1 million across its 476 locations, with the chain's top-quartile restaurants generating over $4 million in average unit volume.
That performance has pushed CAVA to raise its full-year 2026 target to 75 to 77 net new restaurants nationwide, part of a long-term strategy to reach 1,000 U.S. locations by 2032, Restaurant Dive reports. The company planned 68 new openings in 2025. To staff that growth, CAVA launched a national workforce initiative in mid-2026 to recruit 2,500 team members under its Flavor Your Future program. CAVA has more than 15,000 team members, and the program includes dedicated assistant general manager promotion pathways.
Lexington's arrival fits into a broader 2026 Midwest expansion push that includes new CAVA locations across St. Louis, Cincinnati, and Columbus, according to Bisnow. The chain also expanded into Minnesota for the first time in 2026. That report notes the U.S. fast-casual dining sector is projected to grow from $168 billion in 2023 to $301 billion by 2032, fueled by consumer demand for customizable, health-focused meals — a shift that has intensified competition for prime suburban retail real estate.
From Regional Chain to Public Company
CAVA's national footprint today traces back to a series of growth moves over the past decade. The company planned to debut on the New York Stock Exchange, per Forge Global. Before that, CAVA acquired rival Mediterranean chain Zoës Kitchen for $300 million in 2018, in a move aimed at accelerating growth in suburban markets, according to Nation's Restaurant News.
Neither CAVA's Hamburg nor Fritz Farm location has a confirmed opening date beyond the spring 2027 estimate given for the Hamburg restaurant. How quickly construction and permitting move forward at both Lexington sites, and whether the local market can support CAVA's typical staffing needs, remain open questions as the chain stakes its first claim in Kentucky.
