Cava, a Mediterranean-style fast-casual restaurant, is planning a Brick Township location. (Credit: Cava)
A fast-growing chain restaurant that has bucked recent trends in its expansion is bringing a new flavor to Brick Township, the company confirmed this week.
Cava, a fast-casual style restaurant that has been compared to Chipotle for its fresh ingredients and unique fare, serves Mediterranean food at more than 300 locations. The Brick restaurant would be its first in Ocean County and the Shore area as a whole. It is planned to replace the former Atlanta Bread location, which was based at its own pad site in the southern portion of Brick Plaza – close to Cedar Bridge Avenue – before it closed several years ago.
Cava is based in Rockville, Md. and is best known for having purchased the Zoës Kitchen chain in 2018, another Mediterranean-style restaurant chain. It has seen massive growth recently, including a jump in its stock price of more than 230 percent in 2024. Though it serves different cuisine, its competition has been squarely identified as Chipotle, which also operates a location in Brick Plaza.
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Cava, a Mediterranean-style fast-casual restaurant, is planning a Brick Township location. (Credit: Cava)
Cava, a Mediterranean-style fast-casual restaurant, is planning a Brick Township location. (Credit: Cava)
Also known as Cava Grill, the restaurant serves bowls, pitas and a host of side dishes. Its menu includes spicy lamb meatball, Greek chicken, steak and feta, falafel, spicy chicken and avocado and well as design-your-own pitas made in-store or ordered online. Sides include pita chips with dipping sauce, hummus, Tzatziki, and feta cheese dipping sauce with fresh onions.
Cava, a Mediterranean-style fast-casual restaurant, is planning a Brick Township location. (Credit: Cava)
Cava, a Mediterranean-style fast-casual restaurant, is planning a Brick Township location. (Credit: Cava)
A spokesman for the chain said the store is currently undergoing interior renovation and is planning an opening in the spring of 2025. Brick Plaza is owned by Federal Realty Investment Trust, and has seen a host of new tenants in recent years amidst significant renovations and a freshening of the property. Raising Cane’s, another fast-casual eatery that serves southern-style fried chicken, is due to open in the place of the former Quaker Steak and Lube, while Burger 25 – a locally-owned chain – has also carved out a spot at Brick Plaza.
