Newly minted Wall Street darling Cava is a fast-casual chain that sells grain bowls and pitas in an assembly-style format. Rival Sweetgreen, whose shares have plummeted since the company went public in 2021, sells premium salads and warm bowls.
Cava, which recorded a profit in its latest quarter, is billed as a Mediterranean version of Chipotle. While unprofitable, Sweetgreen is considered a digital innovator favored by a diminishing corporate lunch crowd. The Los Angeles-based chain opened its first automation-powered restaurant earlier this year in Naperville, Illinois.
Sweetgreen has about 205 restaurants open in the US, while Cava has nearly 280. Both chains are expanding rapidly. Cava plans to open 65 to 70 new restaurants this year. Sweetgreen is targeting 30 to 35 new stores.
One of Sweetgreen's newest locations is in Tustin, California. It's about two miles from a Cava restaurant in Orange County, the home base of top fast-food brands such as Chipotle and Taco Bell.
I live in Orange County and have covered the restaurant industry for two decades. I've seen the hype come and go for similar healthy-halo brands like Tender Greens and Urban Plates.
So, I decided to try the two chains to see why they have such a devoted following among Gen Y and Gen Z consumers. Both chains offer premium ingredients with bold flavors. But, they were also very pricey with pre-set salads and bowls as high as nearly $17.
Base menu prices shot up when I ordered delivery instead of takeout.
Here's how the two stacked up against each other.