CAVA total restaurants in fiscal 2026

CAVA’s restaurant opening guidance faces risks from labor market challenges. CAVA Group’s fiscal full-year 2026 guidance for net new restaurant openings is currently 75 to 77, as stated on May 19, 2026 ^{[^][^][^]}. Management previously increased this guidance, citing that the primary constraint on their pace of expansion is the ability to build a robust pipeline of leaders ready for new roles ^{[^][^][^]}. Consequently, macroeconomic trends that exacerbate labor availability issues, drive wage inflation, or reduce consumer demand to an extent that impairs CAVA’s ability to adequately staff, train, and launch new restaurants with the desired operational quality represent the clearest risk for a revision to this guidance ^{[^][^][^]}.

Various economic pressures could complicate CAVA's future restaurant expansion plans. Macroeconomic risks emerging in the second half of fiscal 2026 that could necessitate revisions to CAVA's expansion guidance include sustained cost pressures across labor, food, construction, and insurance sectors ^{[^][^][^][^]}. Additionally, tightening household budgets could reduce guest traffic, while elevated interest rates might impact capital expenditures, and geopolitical uncertainty could disrupt supply chains ^{[^][^][^][^]}. These conditions could make it more difficult to recruit and train leaders for new stores, put pressure on unit economics, or diminish confidence in the planned opening pace if new-store sales or traffic decline ^{[^][^][^]}.

Broader industry trends suggest caution in restaurant expansion efforts. This outlook aligns with the wider restaurant industry, where a significant 57% of operators do not plan to open new locations in the second half of 2026 ^{[^]}. This indicates a general shift away from aggressive scaling towards a more sustainable and intentional approach to site selection ^{[^]}.

CAVA accurately met its restaurant opening targets in fiscal year 2024. The company demonstrated high accuracy in its new restaurant opening guidance for the year. CAVA's final guidance for net new restaurant openings was 56 to 58, which represented an increase from an earlier projection of 54 to 57. The company successfully achieved 58 net new openings, aligning precisely with the top end of its raised guidance ^{[^][^][^][^][^]}.

CAVA exceeded its restaurant opening projections for fiscal year 2025. The company initially guided for 62 to 66 net new restaurant openings. This guidance was subsequently raised twice; first to 64 to 68 in May 2025, and then to 68 to 70 in August 2025. Ultimately, CAVA surpassed its final guidance range, achieving 72 net new restaurant openings for fiscal 2025 ^{[^][^][^][^]}.

CAVA projects substantial new unit expansion for fiscal year 2026. The company has provided guidance for 75 to 77 net new restaurant openings during this period ^{[^][^]}. Based on CAVA's 459 restaurants operating at the end of Q1 2026, the company anticipates a total of 516 to 518 restaurants by the close of fiscal year 2026 ^{[^][^]}.

CAVA's growth rate differs significantly from fast-casual competitors. For the same fiscal year, Chipotle (CMG) has projected a considerably higher range of 350 to 370 new restaurant openings ^{[^][^]}. Sweetgreen (SG), conversely, anticipates approximately 13 net new restaurant openings for fiscal year 2026 ^{[^][^][^]}.

Alternative data sources, including construction permit filings and real estate leasing information, suggest CAVA's new restaurant pipeline aligns with its expansion trajectory and company guidance [^] [^] [^] [^] [^] [^] [^] [^] . (CAVA) 8-K Earnings Release - May 2026" data-source-lanes="traditional">[^]. CAVA successfully opened 20 net new restaurants in the first quarter of fiscal 2026, bringing its total to 459 locations as of April 19, 2026 ^{[^][^][^]}. The company has set guidance for 75 to 77 net new restaurant openings for the full fiscal year 2026, which implies an expectation of 55 to 57 net new openings during the remainder of the year ^{[^][^][^]}.

This expansion is corroborated by construction permits and entry into new markets. Alternative data corroborates this growth through recent construction permit filings observed in locations such as Austin, Jacksonville, and Cleveland, alongside tracked real estate leasing activity for new build-outs and tenant infills through mid-2026 ^{[^][^][^][^][^]}. CAVA has also broadened its market presence by entering new areas including Cincinnati, St. Louis, and Columbus, with additional Columbus locations already planned, indicating a widening pipeline beyond its established core markets ^{[^][^][^][^][^][^][^]}. However, while CAVA typically leases its restaurants with standard 10-year terms and 5-year renewal options, public data does not provide a specific permit-by-permit or lease-by-lease count for all future signed restaurants. Consequently, it is not possible to confirm the precise number of remaining fiscal 2026 openings using these alternative data sources alone ^{[^][^][^][^][^][^][^]}.

Pre-opening costs are a key financial indicator for store expansion. CAVA has increased its fiscal 2026 guidance for net new restaurant openings to between 75 and 77 locations ^{[^][^][^][^]}. The company's updated pre-opening cost range of $22.0 to $22.5 million for fiscal 2026 serves as a direct financial indicator of the scale and timing of this planned restaurant pipeline expansion ^{[^][^]}. Monitoring these costs in the Q2 and Q3 2026 earnings reports would reflect progress toward achieving the year-end store count target.

Robust financial performance underpins CAVA's significant unit growth plans. Strong financial performance, including Q1 2026 same-restaurant sales growth of 9.7% and restaurant-level profit margins of 25.1%, provides the financial liquidity and internal confidence necessary for the planned capital expenditure ^{[^][^]}. As of April 19, 2026, CAVA had reached a total of 459 restaurants, having opened 20 net new locations during Q1 2026 ^{[^][^]}. It is important to note that the fiscal calendar's Q1 spans 16 weeks, while subsequent quarters are 12 weeks each, which naturally front-loads store opening activity ^{[^]}. This seasonality should be considered when evaluating progress in Q2 and Q3.

CAVA Group updated its fiscal year 2026 guidance, projecting 75 to 77 net new restaurant openings, an increase from its earlier guidance of 74 to 76 [^] [^] [^] . (May 19, 2026) - 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 first quarter ended April 19, 2026. “Amid today's broader macroeconomic environment and geopolitical uncertainty, our first quarter results reflect our position as a clear industry leader and our ability to meet the moment for the modern consumer," said Brett Schulman, Co-Founder and CEO. "First quarter same restaurant sales grew 9.7%, including traffic growth of 6.8%, and we opened 20 net new restaurants during the quarter, with recent new market entries across the Midwest in Cincinnati, St. Louis, and Columbus. These results, which include the lap of strong prior year comparisons, speak to the structural strength of our business, the resonance of our compelling value proposition, and our position as the dominant leader in Mediterranean – all of which fuel our confidence to sustain this momentum going forward." Fiscal First Quarter 2026 Highlights:" data-source-lanes="traditional">[^]. As of the first quarter ended April 19, 2026, CAVA had 459 total restaurants ^{[^][^][^]}. The company's updated 2026 full-year outlook includes same-restaurant sales growth of 4.5% to 6.5%, restaurant-level profit margins of 23.7% to 24.3%, and Adjusted EBITDA of $181.0 to $191.0 million ^{[^][^][^]}.

Bullish catalysts for CAVA include strong same-restaurant sales growth driven by traffic, successful Midwest expansion, and digital channel momentum ^{[^][^][^][^]}.

Conversely, bearish catalysts comprise a high valuation (P/E ratio), potential margin pressure from new menu items like Glazed Salmon, increased competitive intensity, and the challenge of lapping strong prior-year comparisons ^{[^][^][^][^]}.