CAVA Group Reports Third Quarter 2026 Results

CAVA Group, Inc. (NYSE: CAVA) (“CAVA Group” or the “Company”), the category-defining Mediterranean fast-casual restaurant brand that brings heart, health, and humanity to food, today announced financial results for its fiscal third quarter ended October 4, 2026.

“In the third quarter, despite broader industry pressures, we continued to gain market share, expand our footprint, and see strong performance from our new restaurants,” said Brett Schulman, Co-Founder and CEO. “Same Restaurant Sales grew 3.1%, CAVA Revenue increased 22.1%, and we opened our 500th restaurant ahead of schedule. As we look ahead, we will continue investing in our teams and our guests, strengthening the lasting relationships that support durable growth.”

Fiscal Third Quarter 2026 Highlights:

  • CAVA Revenue grew 22.1% to $353.7 million as compared to $289.8 million in the prior year quarter and 46.5% as compared to the third quarter of fiscal 2024.

  • Net New CAVA Restaurant Openings of 24, bringing total CAVA Restaurants to 500, a 20.5% increase in total CAVA Restaurants year over year.

  • Same Restaurant Sales increased 3.1%.

  • AUV of $3.1 million as compared to $2.9 million in the prior year quarter.

  • CAVA Restaurant-Level Profit of $82.7 million or growth of 16.2% over the prior year quarter, with CAVA Restaurant-Level Profit Margin of 23.4%.

  • Digital Revenue Mix was 38.5%.

  • Net Income of $13.2 million.

  • Adjusted EBITDA1 grew 5.7% to $42.3 million.

  • Year to date net cash provided by operating activities of $181.6 million with Free Cash Flow1 of $37.1 million.

Fiscal Third Quarter 2026 Review:

CAVA Revenue was $353.7 million, an increase of 22.1% compared with the third quarter of fiscal 2025. The increase was primarily driven by 102 Net New CAVA Restaurant Openings during or subsequent to the third quarter of fiscal 2025, which are exceeding our performance expectations, and an increase in Same Restaurant Sales of 3.1%. Same Restaurant Sales increased 3.0% from menu price and product mix and slightly positive Guest Traffic. Same Restaurant Sales decreased by approximately 150 basis points due to the impact of Cyclospora and broader concerns around fresh produce consumption.

CAVA Restaurant-Level Profit Margin was 23.4%, a decrease of 120 basis points compared to the third quarter of fiscal 2025. The decrease was driven by incremental labor investments, a higher mix of third-party delivery, and investments in repairs and maintenance, partially offset by leverage associated with an increase in Same Restaurant Sales. As previously disclosed, third-party delivery is dilutive to margin rate, but has a positive impact on margin dollars due to a higher guest price.

General and administrative expenses were $38.1 million, or 10.7% of revenue, as compared to $31.5 million, or 10.8% of revenue, in the third quarter of fiscal 2025. General and administrative expenses, excluding equity-based compensation and executive transition costs1, were $33.6 million as compared to $27.4 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2025. As a percentage of revenue, general and administrative expenses, excluding equity-based compensation and executive transition costs, remained flat at 9.4% of revenue primarily due to leverage from higher sales, offset by investments to support future growth.

Net income was $13.2 million compared to $14.7 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2025. The decrease in net income was primarily due to higher depreciation and amortization, which includes the impact of capital investments made to enhance the guest and team member experience, and higher equity-based compensation, partially offset by improved operating performance.

Adjusted EBITDA1 was $42.3 million, or 11.9% of revenue, an increase of $2.3 million, or 5.7%, compared to the third quarter of fiscal 2025. The increase was primarily driven by the increase in Same Restaurant Sales and the number of and continued strength in the performance of Net New CAVA Restaurant Openings during or subsequent to the third quarter of fiscal 2025, partially offset by investments to support future growth, including pre-opening costs.

__________________

1

Adjusted EBITDA, Free Cash Flow, and General and administrative expenses, excluding equity-based compensation and executive transition costs, are non-GAAP financial measures. Reconciliations to the most directly comparable financial measures presented in accordance with GAAP are set forth in the tables at the end of this press release.

Fiscal Full-Year 2026 Outlook:

CAVA Group announced today that it updated fiscal full-year 2026 guidance, as follows:
 

 

 

August 11, 2026

 

November 4, 2026

Net New CAVA Restaurant Openings

 

75 to 77

 

76 to 78

Same Restaurant Sales

 

4.5% to 6.5%

 

6.0% to 7.0%

CAVA Restaurant-Level Profit Margin

 

23.7% to 24.3%

 

23.7% to 24.0%

Pre-opening costs

 

$22.0 to $22.5 million

 

$28.5 to $29.5 million

Adjusted EBITDA

 

$181.0 to $191.0 million

 

$184.0 to $189.0 million

Actual results may differ materially from CAVA Group’s fiscal full-year 2026 guidance as a result of, among other things, the factors described under “Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” below.

A reconciliation of the forward-looking fiscal 2026 Adjusted EBITDA to net income cannot be provided without unreasonable effort because of the inherent difficulty of accurately forecasting the occurrence and financial impact of the various adjusting items necessary for such reconciliation that have not yet occurred, are out of our control, or cannot be reasonably predicted. For these reasons, we are unable to assess the potential significance of the unavailable information.

About CAVA Group:

CAVA is the category-defining Mediterranean fast-casual restaurant brand bringing together bold, healthful flavors and ingredients at scale. A founder-led company, CAVA is guided by the belief that food should taste as good as it makes you feel, and that great meals and warm Mediterranean hospitality go hand in hand. Across more than 500 restaurants in 31 states and Washington, D.C., guests can choose from an abundant selection of chef-curated or build your own bowls and pitas to meet their dietary and taste preferences. There are more than 17 billion possible ingredient combinations, featuring a variety of proteins, vegetables, signature dips such as Crazy Feta®, house-made beverages, and more. Guided by its mission to bring heart, health, and humanity to food, CAVA provides meaningful career opportunities for more than 15,000 team members and continues to invest in its people and communities. Learn more at cava.com.

Earnings Conference Call:

The Company will host a conference call on November 4, 2026, at 5:00 PM Eastern Time to discuss third quarter 2026 financial results as well as provide a business update. Investors will have the opportunity to listen to the conference call live through the webcast from the Company’s website on the investor relations page at investor.cava.com. A recorded webcast will be available on CAVA’s investor relations website shortly after the call and available for up to one year.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements:

This press release contains forward-looking statements, within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, that reflect our current views with respect to, among other things, our operations and financial performance. Forward-looking statements include all statements that are not historical facts. These forward-looking statements relate to matters such as our fiscal full-year 2026 outlook, including Net New CAVA Restaurant Openings, Same Restaurant Sales, CAVA Restaurant-Level Profit Margin, Pre-opening costs, and Adjusted EBITDA, industry, business strategy, goals, growth opportunities and expectations, expectations concerning our market position, future operations, margins, profitability, capital expenditures, liquidity and capital resources, and other financial and operating information. These statements may include words such as “anticipate,” “assume,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “future,” “will,” “seek,” “foreseeable,” “outlook,” the negative version of these words or similar terms and phrases.

The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based on management’s current expectations and are not guarantees of future performance. The forward-looking statements are subject to various risks, uncertainties, assumptions, or changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict or quantify. Our expectations, beliefs, and projections are expressed in good faith, and we believe there is a reasonable basis for them. However, there can be no assurance that management’s expectations, beliefs, and projections will result or be achieved. Moreover, we operate in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment, and new risks may emerge from time to time. Actual results may differ materially from these expectations due to changes in global, regional, or local economic, business, competitive, market, regulatory, and other factors, many of which are beyond our control. We believe that these factors include but are not limited to the following: we operate in a highly competitive industry; our future growth depends on our ability to open new restaurants while managing our growth effectively and maintaining our culture, and our historical growth may not be indicative of our future growth; we may not be able to successfully identify appropriate locations and develop and expand our operations in existing and new markets; new restaurants may not be profitable and may negatively impact sales at our existing locations; negative changes in guest perception of our brand could negatively impact our business; our efforts to market our restaurants and brand may not be successful; food safety issues and food-borne illness concerns may harm our business; if we are unable to maintain or increase prices, our margins may decrease; the growth of our business depends on our ability to accurately predict guest trends and demand and successfully introduce new menu offerings and improve our existing menu offerings; economic factors and guest behavior trends, which are uncertain and largely beyond our control, may adversely affect guests’ behavior and our ability to maintain or increase sales at our restaurants; we are subject to risks associated with leasing property; we may not be able to successfully expand our digital and delivery business, which is subject to risks outside of our control; our inability or failure to utilize, recognize, respond to, and effectively manage the immediacy of social media could have a material adverse effect on our business; we may not realize the anticipated benefits from past and potential future acquisitions, investments, or other strategic initiatives; we may not be able to manage our manufacturing and supply chain effectively, which may adversely affect our results of operations; our reliance on third parties could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations; we may experience shortages, delays, or interruptions in the delivery of food items and other products; we may not successfully optimize, operate, and manage our production facilities; we may face increases in food, commodity, energy, and other costs; we may face increases in labor costs, labor shortages, and difficulties in our ability to identify, hire, train, motivate, and retain the right team members; our success depends on our ability to attract, develop, and retain our management team and key team members; security breaches of our information systems or data including in relation to the electronic processing of credit and debit card transactions, the CAVA app, or confidential guest or team member information (including personal information) may adversely affect our business; our business is subject to complex and evolving laws and regulations regarding privacy, data protection, and cybersecurity; we rely heavily on information technology systems and failures of, or interruptions in, or not effectively scaling and adapting our information technology systems could harm our business; we are subject to extensive laws and regulatory requirements, and failure to comply with, or changes in, these laws or regulations could have an adverse impact on our business; we are subject to evolving rules and regulations with respect to sustainability matters; climate change and volatile adverse weather conditions could adversely affect our restaurant sales or results of operations; and each of the other factors set forth in “Part I—Item 1A. Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 28, 2025, and in other reports filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, all of which are available on the investor relations page of our website at investor.cava.com.

You should not put undue reliance on any forward-looking statement. Any forward-looking statements made by us in this press release speak only as of the date of this press release and are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements included in this press release. We do not undertake any obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements, except as required by law. Factors or events that could cause our actual results to differ may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all of them.

CAVA GROUP, INC.

UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Twelve Weeks Ended

 

Forty Weeks Ended

(in thousands, except per share amounts)

October 4,

2026

 

October 5,

2025

 

October 4,

2026

 

October 5,

2025

Revenue

$

356,436

 

 

$

292,238

 

 

$

1,163,142

 

 

$

904,679

 

Operating expenses:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Restaurant operating expenses (excluding depreciation and amortization)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Food, beverage, and packaging

 

107,055

 

 

 

88,289

 

 

 

345,235

 

 

 

268,798

 

Labor

 

92,129

 

 

 

73,849

 

 

 

296,081

 

 

 

227,907

 

Occupancy

 

23,822

 

 

 

19,523

 

 

 

76,744

 

 

 

62,722

 

Other operating expenses

 

49,107

 

 

 

38,211

 

 

 

153,985

 

 

 

114,142

 

Total restaurant operating expenses

 

272,113

 

 

 

219,872

 

 

 

872,045

 

 

 

673,569

 

General and administrative expenses

 

38,072

 

 

 

31,499

 

 

 

129,462

 

 

 

104,944

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

21,271

 

 

 

17,628

 

 

 

67,703

 

 

 

55,254

 

Pre-opening costs

 

8,425

 

 

 

4,942

 

 

 

21,327

 

 

 

14,519

 

Impairment and asset disposal costs

 

1,554

 

 

 

1,176

 

 

 

5,501

 

 

 

3,917

 

Total operating expenses

 

341,435

 

 

 

275,117

 

 

 

1,096,038

 

 

 

852,203

 

Income from operations

 

15,001

 

 

 

17,121

 

 

 

67,104

 

 

 

52,476

 

Interest income, net

 

(3,544

)

 

 

(3,575

)

 

 

(10,919

)

 

 

(11,773

)

Other (income) expense, net

 

(135

)

 

 

30

 

 

 

(1,274

)

 

 

(471

)

Income before taxes

 

18,680

 

 

 

20,666

 

 

 

79,297

 

 

 

64,720

 

Provision for income taxes

 

5,482

 

 

 

5,919

 

 

 

19,516

 

 

 

5,898

 

Net income

$

13,198

 

 

$

14,747

 

 

$

59,781

 

 

$

58,822

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Earnings per share:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basic

$

0.11

 

 

$

0.13

 

 

$

0.51

 

 

$

0.51

 

Diluted

$

0.11

 

 

$

0.12

 

 

$

0.51

 

 

$

0.50

 

Weighted-average common shares outstanding:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basic

 

116,822

 

 

 

115,960

 

 

 

116,564

 

 

 

115,733

 

Diluted

 

118,286

 

 

 

118,271

 

 

 

118,326

 

 

 

118,356

 

The following tables summarize the results of the CAVA segment:

 

 

Twelve Weeks Ended

 

 

 

October 4,

2026

 

October 5,

2025

 

Change

(in thousands)

$

 

% of Revenue

 

$

 

% of Revenue

 

$

 

%

Revenue

$

353,719

 

100.0

%

 

$

289,787

 

100.0

%

 

$

63,932

 

22.1

%

Restaurant operating expenses (excluding depreciation and amortization)

Food, beverage, and packaging

 

106,146

 

30.0

 

 

 

87,245

 

30.1

 

 

 

18,901

 

21.7

 

Labor

 

92,129

 

26.0

 

 

 

73,849

 

25.5

 

 

 

18,280

 

24.8

 

Occupancy

 

23,822

 

6.7

 

 

 

19,523

 

6.7

 

 

 

4,299

 

22.0

 

Other operating expenses

 

48,896

 

13.8

 

 

 

38,005

 

13.1

 

 

 

10,891

 

28.7

 

Total restaurant operating expenses

 

270,993

 

76.6

 

 

 

218,622

 

75.4

 

 

 

52,371

 

24.0

 

Restaurant-level profit

$

82,726

 

23.4

%

 

$

71,165

 

24.6

%

 

$

11,561

 

16.2

%

 

Forty Weeks Ended

 

 

 

October 4,

2026

 

October 5,

2025

 

Change

(in thousands)

$

 

% of Revenue

 

$

 

% of Revenue

 

$

 

%

Revenue

$

1,153,544

 

100.0

%

 

$

896,518

 

100.0

%

 

$

257,026

 

28.7

%

Restaurant operating expenses (excluding depreciation and amortization)

Food, beverage, and packaging

 

342,060

 

29.7

 

 

 

265,679

 

29.6

 

 

 

76,381

 

28.7

 

Labor

 

296,081

 

25.7

 

 

 

227,907

 

25.4

 

 

 

68,174

 

29.9

 

Occupancy

 

76,744

 

6.7

 

 

 

62,722

 

7.0

 

 

 

14,022

 

22.4

 

Other operating expenses

 

153,269

 

13.3

 

 

 

113,478

 

12.7

 

 

 

39,791

 

35.1

 

Total restaurant operating expenses

 

868,154

 

75.3

 

 

 

669,786

 

74.7

 

 

 

198,368

 

29.6

 

Restaurant-level profit

$

285,390

 

24.7

%

 

$

226,732

 

25.3

%

 

$

58,658

 

25.9

%

The following table presents selected quarterly financial and other data:

 

($ in thousands)

Q3 2026

 

Q2 2026

 

Q1 20261

 

Q4 2025

 

Q3 2025

Net New CAVA Restaurant Openings

 

24

 

 

 

17

 

 

 

20

 

 

 

24

 

 

 

17

 

CAVA Restaurants, end of period

 

500

 

 

 

476

 

 

 

459

 

 

 

439

 

 

 

415

 

Same Restaurant Sales

 

3.1

%

 

 

9.0

%

 

 

9.7

%

 

 

0.5

%

 

 

1.9

%

AUV

$

3,111

 

 

$

3,088

 

 

$

3,027

 

 

$

2,934

 

 

$

2,935

 

CAVA Restaurant-Level Profit

$

82,726

 

 

$

93,812

 

 

$

108,852

 

 

$

58,312

 

 

$

71,165

 

CAVA Restaurant-Level Profit Margin

 

23.4

%

 

 

25.7

%

 

 

25.1

%

 

 

21.4

%

 

 

24.6

%

Restaurant Operating Weeks

 

5,798

 

 

 

5,606

 

 

 

7,150

 

 

 

5,140

 

 

 

4,881

 

__________________

1

In a 52-week fiscal year, the first fiscal quarter contains sixteen weeks and the second, third, and fourth fiscal quarters each contain twelve weeks.

The following table presents the Company’s selected balance sheet data:

 

(in thousands)

October 4,

2026

 

December 28,

2025

Cash and cash equivalents

$

297,896

 

$

282,917

Investments at fair value

 

129,977

 

 

110,112

Total assets

 

1,532,863

 

 

1,360,027

Total liabilities

 

673,977

 

 

580,371

Total stockholders’ equity

 

858,886

 

 

779,656

Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity

 

1,532,863

 

 

1,360,027

The following table shows the growth in our company-owned CAVA Restaurant base:

 

 

Twelve Weeks Ended

 

Forty Weeks Ended

 

October 4,

2026

 

October 5,

2025

 

October 4,

2026

 

October 5,

2025

Beginning of period

476

 

398

 

439

 

 

367

New CAVA Restaurant openings

24

 

17

 

62

 

 

48

Permanent closure

—

 

—

 

(1

)

 

—

End of period

500

 

415

 

500

 

 

415

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

In addition to our consolidated financial statements, which are prepared in accordance with GAAP, we present Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA Margin, general and administrative expenses, excluding equity-based compensation and executive transition costs, and Free Cash Flow in this press release as supplemental measures of financial performance that are not required by, or presented in accordance with, GAAP. We believe they assist investors and analysts in comparing our operating performance across reporting periods on a consistent basis by excluding items that we do not believe are indicative of our operating performance. Management believes Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA Margin, general and administrative expenses, excluding equity-based compensation and executive transition costs, and Free Cash Flow are useful to investors in highlighting trends in our operating performance, while other measures can differ significantly depending on long-term strategic decisions regarding capital structure, the tax jurisdictions in which we operate, and capital investments. Management uses Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA Margin, general and administrative expenses, excluding equity-based compensation and executive transition costs, and Free Cash Flow to supplement GAAP measures of performance in the evaluation of the effectiveness of our business strategies, to make budgeting decisions, and to compare our performance against that of other peer companies using similar measures. Management supplements GAAP results with non-GAAP financial measures to provide a more complete understanding of the factors and trends affecting the business than GAAP results alone provide.

Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA Margin, general and administrative expenses, excluding equity-based compensation and executive transition costs, and Free Cash Flow are not recognized terms under GAAP and should not be considered as alternatives to net income, net income margin, or general and administrative expenses, as applicable, as measures of financial performance or cash provided by operating activities as measures of liquidity, or any other performance measure derived in accordance with GAAP. Additionally, Adjusted EBITDA and Free Cash Flow are not intended to be measures of cash flow available for management’s discretionary use, as Adjusted EBITDA does not consider certain cash requirements such as tax payments and financing cash flows, and Free Cash Flow does not consider certain cash requirements such as financing cash flows. Our non-GAAP measures have limitations as analytical tools, and you should not consider them in isolation, or as substitutes for analysis of our results as reported under GAAP. Some of these limitations are:

  • Adjusted EBITDA does not reflect our cash expenditures or future requirements for capital expenditures or contractual commitments;

  • Adjusted EBITDA does not reflect changes in, or cash requirements for, our working capital needs;

  • Adjusted EBITDA and Free Cash Flow do not reflect cash flows from financing activities of our business;

  • Adjusted EBITDA does not reflect period to period changes in taxes, income tax expense, or the cash necessary to pay income taxes;

  • Adjusted EBITDA does not reflect the impact of earnings or cash charges resulting from matters we consider not to be indicative of our ongoing operations;

  • although depreciation and amortization are non-cash charges, the assets being depreciated and amortized will often have to be replaced in the future, and Adjusted EBITDA does not reflect any cash requirements for such replacements; and

  • other companies in our industry may calculate Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA Margin, general and administrative expenses, excluding equity-based compensation and executive transition costs, and Free Cash Flow differently than we do, limiting their usefulness as comparative measures.

The following table reconciles net income to Adjusted EBITDA and net income margin to Adjusted EBITDA margin:

 

 

Twelve Weeks Ended

 

Forty Weeks Ended

(in thousands)

October 4,

2026

 

October 5,

2025

 

October 4,

2026

 

October 5,

2025

Net income

$

13,198

 

 

$

14,747

 

 

$

59,781

 

 

$

58,822

 

Non-GAAP Adjustments

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interest income, net

 

(3,544

)

 

 

(3,575

)

 

 

(10,919

)

 

 

(11,773

)

Provision for income taxes

 

5,482

 

 

 

5,919

 

 

 

19,516

 

 

 

5,898

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

21,271

 

 

 

17,628

 

 

 

67,703

 

 

 

55,254

 

Equity-based compensation

 

4,500

 

 

 

3,285

 

 

 

17,923

 

 

 

14,517

 

Other (income) expense, net

 

(135

)

 

 

30

 

 

 

(1,274

)

 

 

(471

)

Impairment and asset disposal costs

 

1,554

 

 

 

1,176

 

 

 

5,501

 

 

 

3,917

 

Executive transition costs

 

—

 

 

 

832

 

 

 

545

 

 

 

832

 

Adjusted EBITDA

$

42,326

 

 

$

40,042

 

 

$

158,776

 

 

$

126,996

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Revenue

$

356,436

 

 

$

292,238

 

 

$

1,163,142

 

 

$

904,679

 

Net income margin

 

3.7

%

 

 

5.0

%

 

 

5.1

%

 

 

6.5

%

Adjusted EBITDA margin

 

11.9

%

 

 

13.7

%

 

 

13.7

%

 

 

14.0

%

The following table reconciles general and administrative expenses to general and administrative expenses, excluding equity-based compensation and executive transition costs:

 

 

Twelve Weeks Ended

 

Forty Weeks Ended

(in thousands)

October 4,

2026

 

October 5,

2025

 

October 4,

2026

 

October 5,

2025

General and administrative expenses

$

38,072

 

 

$

31,499

 

 

$

129,462

 

 

$

104,944

 

Equity-based compensation

 

4,500

 

 

 

3,285

 

 

 

17,923

 

 

 

14,517

 

Executive transition costs

 

—

 

 

 

832

 

 

 

545

 

 

 

832

 

General and administrative expenses, excluding equity-based compensation and executive transition costs

$

33,572

 

 

$

27,382

 

 

$

110,994

 

 

$

89,595

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Revenue

$

356,436

 

 

$

292,238

 

 

$

1,163,142

 

 

$

904,679

 

General and administrative expenses, as a percentage of revenue

 

10.7

%

 

 

10.8

%

 

 

11.1

%

 

 

11.6

%

General and administrative expenses, excluding equity-based compensation and executive transition costs, as a percentage of revenue

 

9.4

%

 

 

9.4

%

 

 

9.5

%

 

 

9.9

%

The following table reconciles net cash provided by operating activities to Free Cash Flow:

 

 

Forty Weeks Ended

(in thousands)

October 4,

2026

 

October 5,

2025

Net cash provided by operating activities

$

181,594

 

 

$

144,537

 

Purchases of property and equipment

 

(144,510

)

 

 

(121,264

)

Free Cash Flow

$

37,084

 

 

$

23,273

 

Glossary:

The following definitions apply to these terms as used in this press release:

“Adjusted EBITDA” is defined as net income adjusted to exclude interest (income) expense, net, provision for (benefit from) income taxes, and depreciation and amortization, further adjusted to exclude equity-based compensation, other (income) expense, net, impairment and asset disposal costs, and executive transition costs, in each case, to the extent applicable in a given fiscal period. See “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” for a reconciliation of net income to Adjusted EBITDA for the periods presented;

“Adjusted EBITDA Margin” is defined as Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of revenue;

“Average Unit Volume” or “AUV” represents total revenue of operating CAVA Restaurants that were open for the entire trailing thirteen periods, and Digital Kitchens sales for such period, divided by the number of operating CAVA Restaurants that were open for the entire trailing thirteen periods;

“CAVA Restaurant-Level Profit” a segment measure of profit and loss, represents CAVA Revenue less food, beverage, and packaging, labor, occupancy, and other operating expenses, excluding depreciation and amortization. CAVA Restaurant-Level Profit excludes pre-opening costs;

“CAVA Restaurant-Level Profit Margin” represents CAVA Restaurant-Level Profit as a percentage of CAVA Revenue;

“CAVA Restaurants” is defined to include all CAVA restaurants and Hybrid Kitchens that are open or temporarily closed as of the end of the specific period. CAVA Restaurants exclude restaurants operating under license agreements and Digital Kitchens;

“CAVA Revenue” is defined to include all revenue attributable to CAVA restaurants in the specified period, excluding restaurants operating under license agreements;

“Digital Kitchen” is defined to include kitchens used for third-party marketplace and native delivery, Digital Order pick-up and/or centralized catering production, and that has neither in-restaurant dining nor customer-facing make lines;

“Digital Orders” means orders made through catering, digital channels, such as the CAVA app and the CAVA website. Digital Orders include orders fulfilled through third-party marketplace and native delivery and digital order pick-up;

“Digital Revenue Mix” represents the portion of CAVA Revenue related to Digital Orders as a percentage of total CAVA Revenue;

“Free Cash Flow” means net cash provided by operating activities less purchases of property and equipment;

“Guest Traffic” means the number of entrees ordered in-restaurant and through Digital Orders;

“Hybrid Kitchen” is defined to include kitchens that have enhanced kitchen capabilities to support centralized catering production and that also have in-restaurant dining and customer-facing make lines;

“Net New CAVA Restaurant Openings” is defined as new CAVA restaurant openings during a specified reporting period, net of any permanent CAVA restaurant closures during the same period;

“Restaurant Operating Weeks” represents the aggregate number of weeks each of our CAVA Restaurants has been open in a given period; and

“Same Restaurant Sales” is defined as the period-over-period sales comparison for CAVA restaurants that have been open for 365 days or longer.

We operate on a 52-week or 53-week fiscal year that ends on the last Sunday of the calendar year. In a 52-week fiscal year, the first fiscal quarter contains sixteen weeks and the second, third, and fourth fiscal quarters each contain twelve weeks. In a 53-week fiscal year, the first fiscal quarter contains sixteen weeks, the second and third fiscal quarters each contain twelve weeks, and the fourth fiscal quarter contains thirteen weeks. References to “thirteen periods” are to the 13 accounting periods we have in each fiscal year, with each accounting period being four weeks, except in a 53-week fiscal year which will contain one accounting period of five weeks.

Certain numerical figures have been subject to rounding adjustments. Accordingly, numerical figures shown as totals in various tables may not be arithmetic aggregations of the figures that precede them.

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