Cava is grounded in the Mediterranean way of life, where food is at the center of culture and connection. Ike Grigoropoulos, Chef Dimitri Moshovitis, and Ted Xenohristos have known each other since they were six. They were often found goofing off in their Greek church’s Sunday School class, before heading to their respective parents’ homes for a big Sunday lunch, typically full of slow-roasted lamb, lemony potatoes, lots of olives, and bowls of tzatziki. Food and hospitality was always coursing through their veins, thanks to growing up as sons of first-generation immigrants who all valued making room at the table for all their family and friends. Later in life, they cared deeply about creating restaurants that paid homage to the Mediterranean traditions they grew up with, where food equals connection, and what’s good for you is also what tastes good too. They, along with co-founder Brett Schulman, opened CAVA in 2010 to share the food they loved in an accessible fast-casual format. It’s not only about the food, though. CAVA’s inspiration is rooted in the entire Mediterranean meal experience, notably that feeling-so-cared-for genuine expression of hospitality and warmth. Which is why, at CAVA, generosity is our cornerstone.
