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Cava Group, Inc.: Q2 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q2 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 11 August 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 5 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Revenue rose 31.3% year over year: CAVA Revenue was $365.4 million, up from $278.2 million in the prior year quarter, and up 57.9% from the second quarter of fiscal 2024. Source
  • Same restaurant sales rose 9.0%: Same Restaurant Sales increased 9.0%, including guest traffic growth of 5.3%. Source
  • 17 net openings, 476 restaurants: The company opened 17 net new CAVA restaurants in the quarter, bringing the total to 476, up 19.6% year over year. Source
  • Restaurant-level margin fell 60 basis points: CAVA Restaurant-Level Profit Margin was 25.7%, down 60 basis points from the second quarter of fiscal 2025. Source
  • Salmon costs and delivery mix pressured margin: Management cited input costs for the Pomegranate Glazed Salmon launch and a higher third-party delivery mix as dilutive to margin rate. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA rose 30.0% to $54.7M: Adjusted EBITDA was $54.7 million, up from $42.1 million a year earlier. Source
  • Free cash flow of $44.8 million year to date: Year-to-date operating cash flow was $134.5 million and capital spending was $89.7 million, leaving free cash flow of $44.8 million, against $21.9 million a year earlier. Source

“Our second quarter results underscore the continued strength of our category-defining brand and the resonance of our value proposition with today’s consumer,”

Brett Schulman, Co-Founder and CEO

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Net new CAVA restaurant openings Sourcefiscal full-year 202675 to 77Kept
Same restaurant sales Sourcefiscal full-year 20264.5% to 6.5%Kept
CAVA Restaurant-Level Profit Margin Sourcefiscal full-year 202623.7% to 24.3%Kept
Pre-opening costs Sourcefiscal full-year 2026$22.0 to $22.5 millionKept
Adjusted EBITDA Sourcefiscal full-year 2026$181.0 to $191.0 millionKept

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance kept: Full-year 2026 guidance was reaffirmed, with each of the five ranges unchanged from the prior quarter's figures. Source
  • New: Pomegranate Glazed Salmon launched on April 20, 2026, a menu item introduced in this quarter. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Revenue rose 31.3% year over year: CAVA Revenue was $365.4 million, up from $278.2 million in the prior year quarter, and up 57.9% from the second quarter of fiscal 2024. Source
  • Same restaurant sales rose 9.0%: Same Restaurant Sales increased 9.0%, including guest traffic growth of 5.3%. Source
  • Net income rose to $23.0 million: Net income was $23.0 million, or 6.2% of revenue, against $18.4 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2025. Source

Traffic, pricing and unit volumes

  • Traffic and price split same-store gain: Same Restaurant Sales growth came 5.3 points from guest traffic and 3.7 points from menu price and product mix. Source
  • Same-store sales by quarter: Same restaurant sales were 9.0% in Q2 2026, 9.7% in Q1 2026, 0.5% in Q4 2025, 1.9% in Q3 2025 and 2.1% in Q2 2025. Source
  • Average unit volume rose to $3.1 million: AUV was $3.1 million in the quarter, against $2.9 million in the prior year quarter. Source

“From Mishawaka, Indiana to Downingtown, Pennsylvania, our newest restaurants continue to outperform our expectations, reinforcing the proven portability of our concept”

Brett Schulman, Co-Founder and CEO

Restaurant base and openings

  • 17 net openings, 476 restaurants: The company opened 17 net new CAVA restaurants in the quarter, bringing the total to 476, up 19.6% year over year. Source
  • Year-to-date openings and one closure: Year to date the base grew from 439 to 476, with 38 new openings and one permanent closure. Source
  • Restaurant operating weeks rose: Restaurant operating weeks were 5,606 in the quarter, against 4,659 in the prior year quarter. Source

Restaurant margins and costs

  • Restaurant-level margin fell 60 basis points: CAVA Restaurant-Level Profit Margin was 25.7%, down 60 basis points from the second quarter of fiscal 2025. Source
  • Restaurant-level profit rose 28.1%: Restaurant-level profit reached $93.8 million, up 28.1% from the prior year quarter. Source
  • Salmon costs and delivery mix pressured margin: Management cited input costs for the Pomegranate Glazed Salmon launch and a higher third-party delivery mix as dilutive to margin rate. Source
  • Wage investments offset by sales leverage: The company said the higher guest price added to margin dollars, and that incremental wage investments were partly offset by leverage from higher sales. Source
  • G&A fell to 10.8% of revenue: General and administrative expenses were $39.8 million, or 10.8% of revenue, against 11.4% of revenue a year earlier. Source
  • Timing cited in G&A ratio decline: The company attributed the lower G&A ratio to sales leverage, the timing of the CAVA Connect conference in the prior year quarter, and performance-based incentive timing. Source

“This strength, combined with the power of our unit economic model, gives us confidence not only in our momentum today, but in the long runway that lies ahead.”

Brett Schulman, Co-Founder and CEO

Earnings and Adjusted EBITDA

  • Adjusted EBITDA rose 30.0% to $54.7M: Adjusted EBITDA was $54.7 million, up from $42.1 million a year earlier. Source
  • Same-store sales and new units drove EBITDA: The company attributed the increase mainly to Same Restaurant Sales and to restaurants opened during or after the second quarter of fiscal 2025, partly offset by growth investments. Source
  • Diluted EPS rose to $0.19: Diluted EPS was $0.19 against $0.16 a year earlier; year to date it was $0.39 against $0.37. Source
  • Tax rate rose on lower equity-compensation benefit: The effective tax rate rose because the tax benefit tied to equity-based compensation was lower; depreciation and amortization also rose. Source

Cash, capital and balance sheet

  • Free cash flow of $44.8 million year to date: Year-to-date operating cash flow was $134.5 million and capital spending was $89.7 million, leaving free cash flow of $44.8 million, against $21.9 million a year earlier. Source
  • Cash and investments rose: Cash and cash equivalents were $322.8 million and investments at fair value were $112.8 million at July 12, 2026, up from $282.9 million of cash at December 28, 2025. Source
  • Equity rose to $841.3 million: Total stockholders’ equity was $841.3 million and total liabilities were $658.5 million at July 12, 2026. Source

Menu, digital and footprint

  • Digital revenue mix at 39.0%: Digital Revenue Mix was 39.0%, against 39.9% in the first quarter of fiscal 2026. Source
  • Pomegranate Glazed Salmon launched: Pomegranate Glazed Salmon launched on April 20, 2026, within the quarter, and the company cited its input costs as dilutive to margin rate. Source
  • Footprint across 29 states and D.C.: The company operates more than 450 restaurants in 29 states and Washington, D.C. Source

Guidance, growth investment and people

  • Full-year guidance reaffirmed: The company reaffirmed fiscal 2026 guidance; the five ranges are listed under guidance. Source
  • Growth investment partly offset EBITDA gain: The company said investments to support future growth partially offset the Adjusted EBITDA increase. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Comparable sales Source9.0%
Traffic Source5.3%
Store openings Source17 net new
Store closings Source1 permanent closure, year to date
E-commerce share Source39.0%

Risks management discussed

  • Operational: Input costs for the Pomegranate Glazed Salmon launch were dilutive to margin rate in the quarter. Source
  • Operational: A higher mix of third-party delivery was dilutive to margin rate, according to the company. Source
  • Operational: Incremental wage investments were cited as a cost pressure, partly offset by sales leverage. Source
  • Financial: The effective tax rate rose because the tax benefit tied to equity-based compensation was lower. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Not stated: Management reaffirmed the full-year guidance ranges; the documents do not state their status against plan. Source
  • Ahead: Restaurants opened during or after the second quarter of fiscal 2025, 94 units, were described as exceeding performance expectations. Source

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.