Fast-casual Mediterranean restaurant operator CAVA Group is moving ahead in converting some of its Zoës Kitchen stores into its similar CAVA Grill concept, with at least three of the five Jacksonville area locations identified.
The city is reviewing revised plans to renovate the Zoës at St. Johns Town Center into CAVA at 4624 Town Crossing Drive, Suite 149, at an estimated cost of $175,000. The shop is 2,403 square feet.
The site plan at Brooklyn Station on Riverside shows CAVA Grill in the 3,100-square-foot Zoës space at 90 Riverside Ave. The city also has been reviewing preliminary plans for CAVA Group to renovate that Zoës at $175,000.
The cava.com site shows Bartram Village in its careers section but does not have a specific job listing. That Zoës Kitchen is at 13920 Old St Augustine Road.
Zoës also operates at 10422 San Jose Blvd, in Mandarin and at 240 Florida A1A in Ponte Vedra Beach.
Washington, D.C.-based CAVA Group bought Plano, Texas-based Zoës in late 2018.
Zoës offers a Mediterranean-themed menu that includes hummus, falafel, salads, soups, pitas, kabobs, plates, bowls and sandwiches.
CAVA Grill features a build-your-own line for diners to choose among bases, dips and spreads, proteins and toppings, including lamb meatballs, roasted vegetables and grilled chicken. It serves bowls, pitas and salads.
The Town Center plans under review by the city specify the tenant will renovate the restaurant space within an existing one-story building, with minor renovations to the kitchen including mechanical, plumbing and electrical work.
The red architecture + planning firm of Columbus, Ohio, submitted the plans.
Nation’s Restaurant News reported March 24, 2021, that CAVA Group’s $300 million acquisition of Zoës expanded the company from 66 to 326 locations across the U.S.
CAVA Grill’s site shows 230 locations in 17 states and Washington, D.C.
CAVA Grill does not list any restaurants in Florida, although it has filed conversion plans for some Zoës.
The CAVA careers page shows job openings in St. Petersburg, Sarasota, Winter Park and in Winter Springs.
Zoës Kitchen lists 93 restaurants in 15 states. It shows 19 in Florida, including the five in the Jacksonville area.
Restaurantdive.com said in March 2021 that CAVA Group had converted seven Zoës and planned to change more.
NRN.com quoted Brett Schulman, CEO and co-founder of CAVA Group at the time of the sale:
“Our goal has always been to bring CAVA to more communities, and with the acquisition, we were able to strategically expand and diversify our real estate portfolio, unlocking significant value through scale and cost-effective real estate conversions.”
It said CAVA Group was converting 12 Zoës Kitchen locations to CAVA Grill in the first half of 2021 and planned to reveal “ambitious growth plans” for the second half of 2021 and beyond.
CAVA Group has not responded to emails for comment.
“Conversions are an efficient, cost-effective means of market entry, as we repurpose a good deal of the existing restaurant infrastructure when converting to a CAVA location,” Schulman told Nation’s Restaurant News.
He said a motivation behind the acquisition of Zoës was the chain’s presence in suburban communities, noting that CAVA Group had seen a shift toward suburban living before the pandemic began.
“As the pandemic accelerated the shift towards suburban life, with people moving from major cities at a faster rate than ever before, we were able to accelerate plans to convert Zoës Kitchen locations to continue meeting customers where they are,” he said.
The NRN.com site said the acquisition gave CAVA Group opportunities for menu synergies across the two Mediterranean-themed concepts.
