CAVA Sets Out to Hire 2,500+ Team Members in 2026

Business Wire

CAVA (NYSE: CAVA), today announced a significant expansion of its workforce and career development initiatives as part of its ongoing commitment to build meaningful, long-term careers in Mediterranean hospitality through its new Flavor Your Future platform.

CAVA is doubling down on creating clear pathways for growth, investing in leadership development, and expanding opportunities for team members across the country. In 2026, the company plans to hire more than 2,500 new team members while expecting to open over 75 new restaurants, bringing purposeful job opportunities to the communities it serves.

“The most rewarding part of our growth is seeing our team members grow alongside the company,” said Kelly Costanza, Chief People Officer at CAVA. “Whether someone is stepping into a leadership role or just getting started, we want CAVA to be a place where they can build a future they’re proud of.”

New Roles Designed for Growth

A key milestone within the “Flavor Your Future” platform is the recent launch of CAVA’s new Assistant General Manager (AGM) role, designed to build a deeper bench of role-ready leaders to support the company’s rapid growth. The company set out to fill more than 150 AGM roles this year and has already surpassed this goal. This added layer of leadership will strengthen day-to-day operations, accelerate the development of future leaders, and help build more sustainable restaurant teams over time.

Investing in Growth from Within

CAVA continues to prioritize internal mobility and leadership development:

3,500+ restaurant team members celebrated advancements and promotions in 2025.
60% of Assistant General Managers (AGMs) have been promoted from within since the role launched in December 2025.

CAVA is expanding how it recognizes and rewards its leaders through new performance and equity-based incentives. In addition, all General Managers are now eligible for long-term incentive (LTI) equity grants, giving them a direct stake in the company’s success, while additional incentives tied to GM hiring and promotion performance further align leadership growth with overall business impact.

“We’re in an exciting season of growth at CAVA as we continue expanding our Mediterranean way to more guests and communities across the country,” said Doug Thompson, Chief Operating Officer at CAVA. “Our company’s growth is only possible with our team members’ growth. Through meaningful opportunities to develop, lead and build lasting careers, investing in our people isn’t separate from our success — it’s what drives it.”

Benefits That Go Beyond the Workplace

From the very beginning, CAVA has been about more than just great food and a warm, welcoming experience. Founded by entrepreneurs who grew up around restaurants and experienced firsthand both the opportunities and challenges of the industry, CAVA was built on the belief that taking care of team members is just as important as taking care of guests. Whether watching their parents navigate restaurant work, working in restaurants themselves to help pay for college, or earning money to open the first CAVA Mezze restaurant, our founders saw the impact that strong support, opportunity, and care can have on people’s lives. Those early experiences continue to shape CAVA’s people-first culture and commitment to creating real opportunities for growth across the organization, and benefits offered that center on investing in the whole person:

Healthcare coverage, including medical, dental, vision, and telemedicine for eligible team members
Financial wellbeing support through bonus opportunities, a 401(k) plan after 60 days of service with company match after a year of service, employee stock purchase plan, and early wage access
Education support, including tuition discounts for undergraduate and graduate programs
Family-focused benefits such as paid parental and bereavement leave, employee assistance programs, and legal and identity protection services
Wellness offerings that include mental health support for all employees and their families
Everyday perks like commuter benefits, pet insurance, and free or discounted meals during shifts

New Multichannel Storytelling Series

As part of the initiative, CAVA is launching a new Flavor Your Future marketing effort featuring real stories from team members across the organization, showcasing the many ways careers can grow and evolve at CAVA. The campaign will come to life across social, digital, and owned channels throughout the year. To learn more, and stay up to date on CAVA’s open positions, please visit cava.com/careers and 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 age groups, genders, and income brackets 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.