Cava is staking out new ground in Oak Cliff, with plans to open a 2,391-square-foot restaurant at 671 W. Illinois Avenue inside Wynnewood Village. The Mediterranean fast-casual chain is targeting the first half of 2027 for the opening, according to a company representative.
The timeline and location come from CultureMap Dallas, which reported the Wynnewood Village plans. Cava arrived in Dallas in 2020 and now operates approximately 25 locations across the Dallas-Fort Worth area, per that report, meaning the Oak Cliff spot would mark roughly its 26th in the region. A Cava representative, Emma Vogt, told the outlet the company could not confirm additional specifics or a firmer time frame beyond the first half of 2027, but said Cava looks forward to welcoming the Wynnewood Village community to its table.
Once open, Cava will join Kroger, El Rancho Supermercado and LA Fitness at the shopping center, the CultureMap Dallas report notes. The menu is expected to mirror what Cava serves elsewhere: salads, pita, grain and greens bowls, sandwiches, salmon, steak, chicken, falafel and hummus, along with toppings like tomato, onion, cucumber and sumac cabbage slaw, plus seasonal items.
A Shopping Center in the Middle of a Makeover
Wynnewood Village sits west of I-35E at the corner of West Illinois Avenue and South Zang Avenue, about four miles south of downtown Dallas, according to Brixmor, the property's owner. The center is in the middle of a $52 million redevelopment that Brixmor says is scheduled to wrap up in 2026.
Target is one of the new anchors arriving as part of that overhaul, alongside Burlington. CultureMap Dallas reported that Target opened its 655 W. Illinois Avenue store in January 2026, while a Target corporate fact sheet lists a September 2, 2026 date for the same address — a discrepancy the available records do not resolve. That same Target fact sheet describes the store as roughly 110,000 square feet and expected to employ more than 160 team members.
Beyond Target and Burlington, Wynnewood Village's anchor lineup includes Kroger, LA Fitness, Ross Dress for Less and El Rancho Supermercado, per Brixmor's leasing page. CultureMap Dallas also lists Five Below, James Avery and Bath and Body Works among the center's roughly 80-plus stores, restaurants and service tenants.
Betting on Foot Traffic and a Pedestrian-Friendly Redesign
Brixmor has framed the redevelopment as part of a push to make Wynnewood Village friendlier to both drivers and walkers. Brett Milke, a Brixmor executive quoted in the CultureMap Dallas report, said people shop Wynnewood Village on foot and that traffic flow at the center will improve as the project continues.
The center's draw is already substantial: Brixmor's leasing materials advertise an estimated 7.4 million or more annual visits, up from the roughly 6.8 million visits the company says Wynnewood Village drew in 2023. High visibility along West Illinois Avenue, which carries more than 33,000 vehicles daily, and South Zang Avenue, with more than 14,000 vehicles daily, is part of the pitch Brixmor makes to prospective tenants like Cava.
Part of a Bigger National Push
The Oak Cliff location fits into a broader expansion Cava has been running nationally. The chain opened 20 new restaurants in the first quarter of 2026 alone, bringing its total portfolio to 459 locations across 29 states and Washington, D.C., according to Bisnow. That quarter brought $23 million in net income and $434 million in revenue, a 32 percent year-over-year increase, Bisnow reported.
Cava now plans to open more than 75 new stores and hire 2,500 more employees by the end of 2026, Bisnow's report states — an increase from the 68 openings the company had planned for 2025. The chain is working toward a longer-term goal of 1,000 locations by 2032, according to the same report.
CultureMap Dallas reports that the Wynnewood Village Cava restaurant is under construction. Oak Cliff diners hoping for a Greek Goddess Steak bowl or falafel crunch closer to home will need to wait for more details as Cava firms up its 2027 opening plans.
