WASHINGTON — Rockville, Maryland-based Cava Mezze’s fast casual spinoff Cava continues its rapid expansion, now topping 50 locations with its newest opening in Ballston, Virginia this Friday.
The Ballston Cava, part of the redeveloped Ballston Exchange opens Friday at 4121 Wilson Blvd.
It is store No. 51 for Cava nationally, and the 28th Cava location in the D.C. region. Cava offers Mediterranean food salads, grain bowls, soups and pitas, with seasonal ingredients.
Another Cava is set to open this summer at the other end of Wilson Boulevard, in Rosslyn’s Central Place mixed-use development.
The 2,600-square-foot Ballston Cava seats 52.
As part of its Ballston grand opening, the restaurant will offer the first 150 guests a free meal starting at 10:45 a.m. Friday.
Shake Shack and We The Pizza are set to open locations at the new Ballston Exchange.
The company’s more formal Cava Mezze has four locations in the Washington area and one in Baltimore. Cava’s locations stretch coast to coast now, from California to Connecticut.
Maryland natives Ted Xenohristos, Ike Grigoropoulos and Dimitri Moshovitis, founded Cava Mezze in 2006, and launched the fast casual Cava chain five years later.
The trio plans to open a new restaurant called Julli, a French-Mediterranean restaurant that will open in North Bethesda’s Pike & Rose development.
Cava Mezze also runs Sugo Osteria in Potomac and Brusco Luncheaonette in Baltimore.
Its Cava dips and spreads are also sold in more than 200 Whole Foods stores.