CAVA Opens First Pittsburgh Restaurant by University of Pittsburgh

Business Wire

3 days ago

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- CAVA (NYSE: CAVA), the category-defining Mediterranean fast-casual restaurant brand, today opened its first Pittsburgh restaurant, located at 3619 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213. CAVA Oakland is a 2,500-square-foot location with a dining room and digital order pick-up and delivery. The company is planning on opening a second Pittsburgh location later this year.
CAVA's mission is to bring heart, health, and humanity to food. The brand's founders drew inspiration from their Mediterranean roots to deliver the bold flavors and warm hospitality of the Mediterranean to every community they serve. CAVA has a fully customizable menu which can provide over 17 billion combinations for guests to enjoy through chef-curated bowls and pitas, fan-favorite pita chips, craveable dips, and house-made juices.
'As a University of Pittsburgh alumni myself, it's an honor to bring CAVA to the Panthers and Pittsburgh community,' said Kelly Costanza, Chief People Officer at CAVA. 'This city has always loved great food and human connection, so we're eager to share the bold, vibrant flavors of the Mediterranean at our Oakland location, and look forward to growing our footprint across Pittsburgh in the months ahead.'
Before the doors officially open to any new restaurant, CAVA invites guests in for a complimentary meal, accepts donations to support a local cause, and matches those donations up to $1,000. Since 2019, this companywide Community Day program has raised more than $1 million in donations and food donations, focused on organizations improving food insecurity in local communities. In keeping with this tradition, CAVA's Oakland Community Day event was held yesterday, raising funds for the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, a leading local nonprofit organization dedicated to fighting hunger.
CAVA is on track to reach the milestone of at least 1,000 restaurants by 2032. The company is quickly growing its national footprint, with plans to open an additional restaurant in Pittsburgh later this year. CAVA opened 58 net new restaurants in the 2024 Fiscal Year and expects at least 17 percent growth in 2025. CAVA has a total national footprint reaching 28 states and the District of Columbia.
Prior to the grand opening, CAVA also donated fresh meals prepared throughout the restaurant's training period to local community members. The company's food donation program was launched nationally in the fall of 2023 to improve food insecurity and reduce food waste as CAVA expands to new locations.
CAVA's new Oakland restaurant will employ 25-40 local people and will be open daily from 10:30 a.m. - 10:30 p.m. The company hires people for their hospitality and warmth and is dedicated to creating career pathways for its team members. CAVA offers competitive pay and benefits including paid time off, healthcare, early wage access, free CAVA meals, an Employee Assistance Program, and free mental health support.
To learn more about CAVA, follow @CAVA on social channels, including TikTok, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook.
About CAVA
CAVA is the category-defining Mediterranean fast-casual restaurant brand, bringing together healthful food and bold, satisfying flavors at scale. Our brand and our opportunity transcend the Mediterranean category to compete in the large and growing limited-service restaurant sector as well as the health and wellness food category. CAVA serves guests across gender lines, age groups, and income levels and benefits from generational tailwinds created by consumer demand for healthy living and a demographic shift towards greater ethnic diversity. We meet consumers' desires to engage with convenient, authentic, purpose-driven brands that view food as a source of self-expression. The broad appeal of our food combined with these favorable industry trends drive our vast opportunity for continued growth.