CAVA

Trevor Verbiest 

Staff Writer

CAVA, the growing Mediterranean culinary brand, opened its first store in the Beach Cities this month, and its flavorful and healthy products fit in perfectly at The Point. 

Cava specializes in healthy Mediterranean food in which consumers customize their own dishes. It currently has 88 locations across the US in 12 different states from the East Coast, Texas, and Southern California. The restaurant provides typical bowl customization, similar to Chipotle. But this is no Chipotle, this is a place where one can explore uniquely curated flavors that originate thousands of miles away. 

CAVA’s origin story started when the founders, Ted Xenohristos, Ike Grigoropoulos, Dimitri Moshovitis, Brett Schulman, wanted to start a restaurant unlike any other, stating “The idea for Cava was inspired by the childhood food memories me and my partners shared, but nobody wanted to open another traditional Greek restaurant. Instead, our mission was to make the healthy eating style, cuisines and flavors of the entire Levant region more accessible.”

The first step in designing a meal, one has to start with the base, a salad, grain bowl, greens + grain, pita, mini pita, or rightrice. The second step is choosing dips and spreads that include all kinds of flavors from hummus to tzatziki. The third step contains the protein, either falafel, sweet potato, roasted veggies, or your preference of meat. The second to last step involves selecting toppings which include cheeses, vegetables, and greens. Lastly, customers choose a flavor for the drizzle in the long list of dressings.  

CAVA additionally specializes in multiple kinds of tangy lemonades including Blueberry Lavender, Strawberry Citrus, Cucumber Mint Lime, and of course, a traditional lemonade. So with a bowl of  flavorish Mediterranean, one can be refreshed with some of CAVA’s homemade lemonades. 

The last time I went to CAVA, I tried the chef curated bowl, called the Lemon Chicken Bowl, that was curated when Cava chefs started testing the vinaigrette with ingredients that pair well with citrus and chicken, including spinach, roasted red pepper hummus and the fast casual’s signature feta. 

The locations vary depending on each state, through the numerous locations across the country. The closest location, in The Point, Manhattan Beach, at 860 Pacific Coast Hwy Suite 116, El Segundo, CA 90245 is definitely worth visiting.