Cava, a fast-casual Mediterranean restaurant chain, has experienced major growth over the past few years. Between 2016 and 2023, the company grew 22 locations to an impressive 263 storefronts across the country. In keeping with this growth, Cava also rebranded and IPOed in June—earning a staggering market value of $4.88 billion.
What’s the secret behind Cava’s success? According to an interview with Brett Schulman, the company’s CEO, tech has played a significant role. Cava has applied machine learning to discern optimal labor levels, sensors to retain customers during rush hours, heat maps to figure out in which areas their target customers congregate, and mobile ordering to deliver rapidity and convenience. With this reliance on tech-driven insights and an excellent digital customer experience, it’s no surprise that Cava has put just as much consideration into its brand voice.
Whether customers are encountering Cava’s marketing copy in an out-of-home advertisement or on the company’s website, the company entices with mouthwatering product descriptions and best-in-class storytelling. Here’s how they’re generating orders through an unmissable brand voice—and how your company can do the same.
Fire up appetites with vivid details
When landing on Cava’s website, customers are greeted with bold headlines that describe the chain’s latest dishes. “Broccoli with a bite,” one banner reads. “Add a crunchy kick of tangy-smoky spice to any meal with new Fiery Broccoli.” This description and others on the site pack a punch through alliteration, making them feel satisfying and memorable. The descriptive word choice also helps transform a food that many think of as bland into something appealing and flavorful. At Cava, broccoli isn’t waterlogged or tasteless—it’s fiery, tangy, smoky, and crunchy.
These product descriptions are essential to connecting with the desires of Cava’s prospective customers. Their target audience consists of working professionals with busy schedules who want to grab a quick meal and go, but that doesn’t mean they’re willing to sacrifice taste or quality. Cava realizes this, and even baked a related promise into their About page: “Sacrificing health for flavor? Or flavor for health? Not at CAVA—no compromises here.”
This value proposition matches recent research on customer preferences around food. Americans still want food quickly, but 61% of Americans respond that they are more likely to eat healthy at a restaurant than two years prior. This preference is even more pronounced among Gen Z, who want fresh and interesting food. Cava makes it clear that they can do it all, positioning themselves as the go-to, feel-good dining location for health-conscious consumers.
Embrace your origin story
Cava’s brand voice shines not only in pithy product descriptions but also in corporate storytelling. Cava’s About page tells the story of its three founders: “sons of first-generation immigrants,” who ate big Sunday lunches “full of slow-roasted lamb, lemony potatoes, lots of olives, and bowls of tzatziki.” If anyone knows about food that’s good for you and tastes just as good, it’s these guys.
Their origin story makes their product and its value proposition seem even more authentic. It also sets Cava up to connect with Gen Z, an important customer base. As the most diverse generation in the United States, much of Gen Z is used to bold flavors and culinary fusion. Schulman told Nation’s Restaurant News, “Forty-seven percent of Gen Z come from an ethnic minority group…we see it in the data.as our country gets more diverse, people’s palates are broadening.”
This commitment to global flavors is reflected in Cava’s menu and descriptions, as well as its origin story. “Feels good to be fiery,” reads a current headline on their website. “New Spicy Falafel lights up every forkful with fire-roasted jalapenos, harissa + fresh herbs.” Fortunately, leaning into flavor perfectly aligns with what young, fast-casual diners are looking for.
Build a brand that’s bold
While Cava’s brand voice is shrewdly aligned with its goals, it’s also formidable all on its own, projecting confidence and sparking joy. “Liquid sunshine,” reads a billboard of someone sipping a Cava beverage. The imagery is strong, evoking happiness and warmth. They want good food to be fun, as much as it is healthy. Calls to action on their website home page—like “let’s get bold,” “broc my world,” and “spice up my life”—echo this sentiment.
Wellness and health brands can follow Cava’s lead. By evoking good feelings—and even a smile—through copy, you can build positive associations in prospective customers’ minds and prime them for the joy your product or service will ultimately bring. Better yet? Show them why those good feelings are completely guilt free.
If you need help finding your company’s brand voice or crafting copy that cooks up connection, MarketSmiths Content Strategists offers a low-risk model for content procurement with stellar writers and world-class content strategy. Contact our team to get started.
