CAVA

CAVA, a leader in Mediterranean fast-casual dining, needed a new digital infrastructure following an acquisition to support major expansion and its journey to becoming a public company.

CAVA’s new scalable microservices-based digital ecosystem unlocked new revenue channels and delivered a seamless customer experience—driving 32% year-over-year revenue growth and boosting digital sales to 36% of total revenue.

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Identify & Plan

The Problem

Following its acquisition of Zoes Kitchen, CAVA faced significant challenges in scaling its digital infrastructure to support rapid growth and rebranding efforts. The company’s existing monolithic API couldn’t handle increasing order volumes or the demands of converting Zoes’ sit-down restaurants into CAVA’s build-your-own-meal model. With critical gaps in menu standardization, third-party integrations, and backend scalability, CAVA needed a strategic partner to modernize its digital ecosystem and support millions of transactions across an expanding footprint.

Expertise & Execution

The Process

CAVA engaged ResultStack to stabilize and rebuild its digital platform, beginning with a six-week migration to AWS for immediate stability. Through the strangler fig pattern, ResultStack conceived, built and launched a new microservices backend to replace legacy systems, enabling faster development and integrations. Key initiatives included building a menu standardization system, an order injection method to enable third-party delivery with DoorDash and UberEats, and a payment microservice to reduce costs. ResultStack also enhanced CAVA’s mobile app with new features, migrated it to the new backend, and supported the launch of a revamped loyalty program and online catering platform. By 2023, ResultStack completed the backend migration in time for CAVA’s IPO, positioning the company for scalable digital growth.

Success & Achievement

The Results

CAVA grew from 46 to over 360 locations, achieving 32% year-over-year revenue growth. Digital sales climbed to 36% of total revenue, among the highest in the industry. CAVA also saw a 230 basis point increase in loyalty sales within five months following the launch of its new points-based loyalty program and ApplePay enrollment flow. With a flexible, serverless platform built by ResultStack, CAVA is well-positioned to sustain its momentum and innovation in the fast-casual dining space.

Case Study Features

Highly-Scalable Microservices Architecture

Stabilization of Existing Infrastructure

Menu Standardization System

Payment Processing Optimization

Custom Catering Platform

IOS and Android Mobile App

Loyalty & Stored Value Systems

“This flexible platform [architected and built by ResultStack] positions us for sustainable growth, and our upfront investment in it will create leverage as we scale. We believe it’s an in-house digital platform few restaurants our size, much less many larger brands, have.”

Brett Schulman

President and CEO | The CAVA Group