Cava Launches Hiring Push to Add 2,500 Staff

Cava Sets an Ambitious Hiring Target as Restaurant Expansion Accelerates

Cava has announced a goal of hiring more than 2,500 new team members in 2025, directly tied to its plan to open approximately 75 new restaurants across the country this year.

The fast-casual Mediterranean chain, which added a net 72 units last year and currently operates 459 locations, is scaling its workforce in lockstep with its physical footprint. The hiring push reflects a brand that is growing with intent rather than simply chasing unit count- and one that is increasingly focused on making sure the people powering that growth have genuine reasons to stay and build careers within the organisation.

Flavor Your Future - A Career-Building Initiative Designed to Retain Talent

Central to Cava's hiring campaign is its "Flavor Your Future" initiative, a programme designed to position the brand as a place where team members can genuinely advance rather than simply clock in and out.

The initiative draws a conscious parallel with similar efforts from fast-casual peers like Chipotle, which has long used national hiring campaigns to communicate its internal promotion culture. For Cava, the message is straightforward - joining the brand is not just a job- it is an entry point into a career path with real upward mobility.

"The most rewarding part of our growth is seeing our team members grow alongside the company," said Kelly Costanza, Cava's Chief People Officer. "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."

A New Assistant General Manager Role Is Already Delivering Results

One of the most concrete expressions of Cava's commitment to internal development is the assistant general manager position, created in December of last year. The role is now in place at roughly half of Cava's 459 units, and the early data is encouraging.

CEO Brett Schulman noted during the chain's first-quarter earnings report that restaurants with an AGM in place tend to outperform those without one- a finding that gives the programme both an operational and a strategic rationale.

Cava has already surpassed its target of hiring more than 150 people into AGM roles this year, and approximately 60% of those appointments have been filled through internal promotions. That figure speaks directly to the credibility of the "Flavor Your Future" positioning.

General Managers Now Eligible for Equity Grants and Performance Incentives

Beyond the AGM role, Cava has also expanded its rewards structure for more senior leaders. General managers are now eligible for long-term incentive equity grants- a meaningful addition that gives restaurant-level leaders a tangible stake in the company's broader success.

Additional incentives tied to hiring and promotion performance further align individual managers with the organisation's growth objectives. For a brand pushing toward 1,000 restaurants by 2030, creating financial reasons for strong leaders to stay and grow within the company is not just a retention strategy- it is a critical operational investment.

A Benefits Package Built to Compete Beyond the Restaurant Industry

Cava's broader benefits offering is designed to be competitive not just within the restaurant sector but against employers more broadly. Eligible team members have access to medical, dental, vision, and telemedicine healthcare coverage, along with a 401k plan with matching contributions after a year of service and an employee stock purchase plan.

Early wage access gives workers flexibility around when they receive their pay, while tuition support, parental leave, and bereavement leave address longer-term life needs. Wellness programmes, pet insurance, and free or discounted meals during shifts round out a package that communicates genuine investment in employee wellbeing rather than a bare-minimum approach to compensation.

Cava's Growth Story- and Why Its People Strategy Is Central to It

Cava's hiring push does not exist in isolation- it is part of a larger ambition to reach 1,000 restaurants by 2030, a target that will require sustained operational excellence and a deep bench of capable leaders at every level of the organisation.

Doug Thompson, Cava's Chief Operating Officer, was explicit about the connection between people and performance. "Our company's growth is only possible with our team members' growth," he said. "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."

That philosophy lands against a broader industry backdrop of renewed hiring momentum- restaurants and bars added 48,000 jobs in May alone, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, making the sector one of the top job creators in an economy that added 172,000 positions that month. For Cava, the timing could hardly be better.

Cava Sets an Ambitious Hiring Target as Restaurant Expansion Accelerates