Hummus and high growth: The alumni powering CAVA’s culinary revolution

It was raining in Chicago’s Wicker Park, but that didn’t stop the crowd. The line snaked around the block — two hours long, umbrellas bobbing, anticipation building. What were they waiting for? Not a concert, not a sneaker drop. They were waiting for lunch.

But not just any lunch. They were waiting for CAVA.

Founded in 2010 by three childhood friends, the fast-casual chain of Mediterranean restaurants has grown from a single storefront to nearly 400 locations, and it surpassed $1 billion in annual revenue for the first time earlier this year. And it’s just getting started.

“There were two-hour lines at that Wicker Park location for probably about four weeks,” says chief experience officer Andy Rebhun ’19 MBA, recalling the store’s April 2024 opening. “So if that doesn’t tell you enough about a concept …” he adds with a chuckle.

It tells you everything. CAVA aspires to become much more than a quick-service restaurant — it aims to define its category and spark a Mediterranean movement within fast food.

With a mission to bring “heart, health and humanity to food,” CAVA offers a fully customizable menu of greens, grains, dips and proteins — everything from harissa honey chicken, lamb, falafel, its signature Crazy Feta and much more — all served with a side of warm hospitality.

In an industry where fast-casual traffic has slipped downward for more than a decade, CAVA is bucking the trend with double-digit revenue growth and a vision to reach 1,000 restaurants by 2032. 

“One of the biggest jobs for us as marketers is making sure when someone says Mediterranean, the next thing that comes out of their mouth is CAVA,” says Rebhun. “We want to have that type of brand recognition.”

The founders’ flame and the Kellogg spark 

CAVA was built on the traditions of hospitality, connection and bold flavor. Co-founders Ike Grigoropoulos, chef Dimitri Moshovitis and Ted Xenohristos drew on their Mediterranean roots and shared memories of Sunday dinners with family.  

They brought in co-founder and CEO Brett Schulman to envision a brand centered on the cuisine they have loved their whole lives, and CAVA was born. Today, the chain is led by a team that blends operational excellence with emotional intelligence — many of whom trace their leadership roots back to Kellogg. 

“I had never worked for a founder-run organization before,” said Matt Milanovich ’09 MBA, SVP of finance. “And being in finance and having investor relations responsibilities, the founder aspects are so much more long-term focused. When we say we’re trying to run this for ten years, not ten months, we mean it.” 

“We are people first,” emphasizes Sandra Abla ’22 MBA, director of brand, media and marketing operations. With both our teams and our guests, they are always top of mind and we prioritize what’s best for them, even if it means breaking from typical restaurant norms.” 

Rebhun added, “We’ve been very intentional with all the choices we’ve made, and it’s kept consumers coming back.” 

Growing fast while breaking the mold 

CAVA’s numbers are staggering. Last quarter, the brand grew revenue more than 20%, driven by recent new locations that are outperforming expectations. The quarter also saw 16 new store openings, including the chain’s 400th restaurant. 

When CAVA launched its IPO in June 2023, Milanovich says, the internal team set a goal to beat their guidance and raise it every quarter, which they’ve now done for two years. But the strategy behind those numbers is even more impressive. 

“A lot of our investors will say things like, ‘You had 25% margin last year. Why not raise it more this year?’” said Milanovich. “And the reason is because we don’t want to harvest margin right now when we’re growing so quickly. What we do is we invest in the guest.” 

That investment extends to employees, too. “They wanted to build this for the long term,” Milanovich said of CAVA’s founders. “They had parents who worked in a restaurant industry that didn't support them as well as they could have, and it was very important to them that our team members were partners.” 

CAVA’s expansion is rapid but thoughtful. From Texas to South Florida to Indiana, new markets are embracing the brand. A refreshed loyalty program is garnering deeper customer insights and critical zero-party data. And a new initiative, Project Soul, is elevating the design of its dining rooms with natural light, greenery and warmth. At a time when many quick-serve brands are shifting to express-style grab-and-go stores, CAVA is inviting guests to linger. 

Additional locations are planned to open later this year in Pittsburgh and Detroit. “There’s just a lot of excitement to still bring Mediterranean to new cities,” says Rebhun. 

Kellogg DNA: Leadership with empathy 

Ask these three alumni leading CAVA’s growth about their time at Kellogg, and they’ll tell you it wasn’t just a chapter —it was a foundation.  

For Abla, Kellogg’s mission to create empathetic leaders ties directly to her role today. “We partner cross-functionally to drive meaningful impact but always with humility, leaving egos at the door. We stay close to our restaurants by working side by side with our teams. All support center teams, including executives and senior leaders, work the front-line quarterly for shoulder-to-shoulder shifts in our restaurants.” 

One of the most enduring gifts of Kellogg, Rebhun says, is the alumni network. “It’s a network that I have for life. I always use my Kellogg network when things are good and when things get tough,” he says. He still regularly goes to meetups with admitted students in his home city of Los Angeles, and he speaks to prospective students about his experience. 

For Milanovich, the school’s influence shows up in the way he thinks and leads. He recalls late nights working on group projects, huddled with classmates over case studies. That rigor has stuck with him. “If you don’t have the data to support it, you can’t make the recommendation,” he says. It’s a mindset that now guides him as he steers CAVA’s financial strategy and long-term decision-making.

The flavor of leadership 

Of course, no CAVA story is complete without food. And at a restaurant where there are endless options, what do you choose? 

For Andy, his go-to bowl starts with a base of brown rice and spinach. From there, he adds two scoops of eggplant and one scoop of hummus, then splits his proteins — half roasted vegetables, half harissa chicken. His toppings are a colorful mosaic: spicy broccoli, feta, tomato, cucumber, tomato-onion blend and pickled onions. The finishing touch? A drizzle of Greek vinaigrette.  

Sandra’s bowl is a celebration of abundance. Her favorite ingredient is the lamb meatballs. “You rarely can get lamb at a fast casual,” she said. “They’re just incredibly delicious.” While she switches up her bases and dips, one thing stays constant: she asks for every single topping. “I literally say, ‘I want everything,’” she said. “The end result is an incredibly colorful, flavorful bowl that usually covers me for lunch and dinner!" 

Matt’s go-to is the honey harissa chicken, which has a sweet-and-spicy twist. His bowl starts with basmati rice and spinach, layered with both red pepper and classic hummus. Toppings include fiery broccoli, tomato, pickled onions, cucumbers and sometimes pickles, all finished with balsamic vinaigrette. “I’m biased,” he said, “but I can’t find anything that’s better.” 

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