{
  "id": 18510304,
  "title": "Cava hit 500 restaurants ahead of schedule. Its CFO explains how it plans double in size by 2032",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/06/cava-hit-500-restaurants-ahead-of-schedule-its-cfo-explains-how-it",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-11-06T13:23:09.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Fortune",
    "slug": "fortune",
    "url": "https://fortune.com/2026/11/06/cava-hit-500-restaurants-ahead-schedule-cfo-plans-double-size-2032/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Cava, the Mediterranean fast-casual chain, has surpassed 500 locations ahead of schedule, marking a significant milestone on its path toward establishing 1,000 restaurants by 2032. CFO Tricia Tolivar spoke to Fortune.com about the company's ambitious expansion plans and the strategies in place to maintain performance as it grows.\n\nCava's newest restaurants are operating near full capacity, indicating the company's potential to scale without sacrificing sales. Tolivar emphasized the strength of the new restaurant openings, highlighting the company's ability to sustain performance amid mounting financial pressures on consumers. Despite a 22.1% year-over-year increase in third-quarter segment revenue to $353.7 million, same-restaurant sales grew by only 3.1%, impacted by concerns about fresh produce following a Cyclospora outbreak. Excluding this factor, same-restaurant sales would have risen by around 4.6%.\n\nTo ensure continued success as Cava expands into new markets, Tolivar stressed the importance of maintaining operational discipline. The company has kept price increases below inflation while investing in technology, such as a real-time digital order management system and an in-house data center consolidating performance metrics. These investments are crucial for managing a much larger operation in the future.\n\nAs Cava approaches its 1,000-restaurant goal, Tolivar remains committed to long-term growth, aiming to exceed expectations over the next 12 years.",
  "summary": "Cava's CFO Tricia Tolivar on reaching the halfway mark to 1,000 restaurants early.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}