CAVA, the nation’s largest Mediterranean restaurant chain, will open a location in The Village Center, adjacent to Westport Hardware. Construction is set to begin in June.

An application for a permit has been filed with the Planning and Zoning Department for 606 Post Road East, a recently remodeled space.

As reported in the Westport Journal, “We have executed a lease with CAVA to lease the approximately 2,100-square-foot space adjacent to Westport Hardware,” said Jack deVilliers, senior vice president, senior market officer for Regency Centers, a national shopping center developer.

CAVA is a nationwide food chain with more than 300 locations. Founded in 1996 by three Greek-American friends, the chain has grown quickly.

It offers a variety of Mediterranean cuisine, such as grain bowls, salad bowls or pitas, as well as a multitude of fruity drinks and bakery-style desserts. For the main courses, one can select various toppings of their own, or they can choose a specific course from the menu. Some options on the menu include the Chicken + Rightrice grain bowl, the Greek Salad bowl, the spicy lamb meatball pita, a strawberry citrus drink, a salted chocolate oat cookie and more. As for building your own bowl, some possible ingredients include arugula, saffron basmati rice, red pepper hummus, falafel, lentil tabbouleh, fire roasted corn, avocado, lemon herb tahini dressing and hot harissa vinaigrette. These options are just a few of the extensive menu.

CAVA has just one location in the state: 129 West Putnam Avenue, Greenwich, Connecticut. Though not many people around here have tried CAVA because of its few locations near Westport, its opening is still exciting.

“I have never heard of CAVA,” Andrew Berkowitz ’24 said. “But, I really like Mediterranean food so I am excited to try it.”

As for others, the opening of CAVA has been highly anticipated and hoped for.

“I’m super excited,” Tyla Ozgen ’25 said. “When I saw the news in English class, I shed a tear. Sometimes I drive all the way to Greenwich just to go to CAVA, so now that it’s coming to Westport, I am going to be its biggest customer.”