Throughout the 2010s, fast-casual bowl chains like Chipotle, Sweetgreen, and Cava were ubiquitous. The restaurants were the preferred mid-day destinations for millennial workers, who, tight on time and knee-deep in decision fatigue, were more than happy to be handed their preferred allotment of grains, proteins, and veggies in a pre-mixed dump that could be easily consumed at a desk.
But over the last couple of years, these “healthy-but-kinda-mushy meals,” as The New York Times so aptly described them, have started to fall off with diners.
For some, the bowls simply got too expensive. Here in New York City, where lines at a Midtown Sweetgreen or Chipotle can run halfway down the block, a chicken burrito bowl at Chipotle costs $14.95 and a Harvest Bowl at Sweetgreen rings in at $17.95.
For others, they just became monotonous. Despite the massive number of potential ingredient combinations at a place like Sweetgreen or Cava, a lack of regular menu innovations resulted in the bowls all starting to taste the same.
In mid-2025, fast-casual bowl chains of all stripes started to see a decline in traffic, depressed sales, and falling stocks. This led to a number of turnaround plans, like Chipotle’s “Recipe for Growth” and Sweetgreen’s “Sweet Growth Transformation Plan,” which have had mixed results.
But there has been one chain that’s managed to avoid much of the fast-casual bowl slump: Cava.
Cava is outperforming its competitors
At the close of the 2025 fiscal year, Cava’s revenues grew 22.5% year-over-year, dwarfing Chipotle’s 5.4% increase and Sweetgreen’s 0.4% increase over the same period.
“2025 was a milestone year for CAVA,” CEO Brett Schulman told investors during the company’s Q4 FY2025 earnings call. “It was a record-setting year marked by our first full fiscal year, surpassing $1 billion in revenue and our strongest new restaurant opening class to date.”
That growth appears to be continuing into Q1 of 2026.
Overall visits to Cava are up 25.8% year-over-year, according to data from Placer.ai. Same store visits have also been trending upward over the last six months, increasing by 6.8% in March 2026.
Related: Chipotle-style chain closes restaurants, leaves key market
Meanwhile, same-store visits at Sweetgreen have been trending downward, decreasing by 7.6% in March, and overall traffic was up just 19.5% in Q1 FY2026. Chipotle has also seen slower foot traffic, with March same-store visits decreasing by 0.5%, and Q1 visits up just 5.8%, according to Placer.ai.
“This represents a meaningful spread between brands competing for the same premium consumer,” Placer’s report said.
Schulman credits the chain’s success to its value proposition — good food at affordable prices that meets a specific dietary requirement for consumers
“We believe our momentum reflects more than just expansion,” he told investors in February. “It signals that our value proposition is resonating with today’s increasingly discerning consumer. As guests become more intentional with their spend, they are choosing brands like Cava that deliver real differentiation through bold flavors, healthful food, and hospitality that creates meaningful human connection.”
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Cava’s focus on protein
With the rise of GLP-1s, protein has become the it-factor for many successful restaurants.
Some 62% of diners report actively seeking high-protein options when dining out, according to a report from Revenue Management Solutions. Another 50% of diners say they’d consider switching restaurant brands for better protein options.
In that all-essential protein category, Cava has positioned itself well. The Mediterranean chain currently offers six different protein options, including a vegan-friendly falafel and the all-new pomegranate-glazed salmon.
The glazed salmon, which just hit menus in March, is Cava’s first seafood offering.
“Glazed Salmon reflects that brand’s commitment to expanding its menu with ingredients that balance quality, flavor, and nourishment – delivering a new way for guests to eat well without compromise,” the company said in an announcement. “The result is a protein-packed option with omega-3s and essential vitamins like B12 and D, delivering both flavor and nourishment in every bite.”
More restaurants:
- Starbucks rival challenges coffee chain’s dominance
- McDonald’s revamps menu as more customers take GLP-1 diet drugs
- Buffalo Wild Wings closes restaurants across the U.S. in 2026
Reviews of the new protein have been positive thus far, and Cava says there’s more to come.
“We have other proteins in the stage gate process,” Schulman told investors. “We’ve had a market test of shrimp, our roasted garlic shrimp, so that is something we’re also excited about, as well as a number of other proteins that are in development. There’s a good pipeline of just the protein section.”
Meanwhile, Sweetgreen and Chipotle’s recent menu updates have centered around items like wraps and sauces, things that are popular with diners in their own right but lack the universal appeal of protein.
Ultimately, Cava’s success can’t be attributed to one single factor. But the chain’s ability to align its menu with shifting consumer preferences indicates a company that won’t be stuck playing catch up in the “bowl wars,” but winning them flat-out.
The restaurant’s adaptability has led analysts like William Blair’s Sharon Zackfia to predict that Cava could be generating more than $2.5 billion in revenue by 2032 at about 1,000 locations.
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