Cava beat quarterly profit expectations and reaffirmed its outlook

Cava Group (NYSE: CAVA) reported second-quarter results above Wall Street expectations, but kept its full-year forecast unchanged. The Mediterranean restaurant chain is counting on continued demand growth, but management is factoring in risks tied to recent outbreaks of foodborne illness, inflation, and broader economic uncertainty. Cava’s revenue for the quarter ended July 12 rose 31.3% to $365.4 million. Analysts expected $360.5 million. Adjusted EBITDA increased 30% to $54.7 million, topping the consensus estimate of $52.1 million.

One of the strongest metrics was sales at restaurants open for at least 12 months. Their revenue rose 9%, while analysts had forecast an increase of about 7.63%. Overall restaurant traffic increased 5.3%.

Despite the strong quarterly performance, management did not raise its forecast for full-year 2026. Cava still expects comparable restaurant sales growth of 4.5–6.5% and adjusted EBITDA of $181–191 million.