When you think about restaurant growth, what comes to mind? Opening more locations? Rolling out new menu items? While those are important, there’s one area that often gets overlooked: digital infrastructure.
For CAVA, the Mediterranean fast-casual brand that’s exploded in popularity over the past decade, success wasn’t just about food—it was about tech. From loyalty programs to catering, they recognized that a smarter digital experience could fuel real revenue growth. And they were right.
CAVA’s story started in 2010 with a single full-service restaurant in Maryland. Since then, they’ve evolved into a fast-casual powerhouse with hundreds of locations nationwide. A major turning point came in 2018 when CAVA acquired Zoës Kitchen, instantly expanding their footprint and accelerating their growth trajectory.
But with that kind of expansion came a challenge: their existing tech stack wasn’t built to scale. As online orders, third-party integrations, and customer expectations increased, it became clear that off-the-shelf solutions weren’t going to cut it.
Instead of patching their old systems, CAVA made a bold move—they decided to rebuild their digital ecosystem from the ground up. With ResultStack as their technology partner, they adopted a fully custom, scalable microservices architecture designed to evolve with the business.
That foundation made all kinds of new initiatives possible.
A custom-built catering platform gave CAVA more control over order management and opened up a high-margin revenue stream.
A revamped loyalty program turned casual customers into superfans, with seamless app experiences and new features like ApplePay-linked rewards.
Mobile app and backend improvements made digital ordering smoother and more reliable than ever before.
The result? An 18% increase in same-restaurant sales, a 230-basis point jump in loyalty-driven revenue, and an impressive $33 million net worth per location—all powered by smart tech decisions.
CAVA didn’t wait for their systems to break before investing in innovation. They anticipated what they’d need next and made technology a core part of their strategy—not just a support function.
The lesson here is simple: if your digital tools are slowing you down, holding back new revenue channels, or frustrating your customers, it might be time to rethink your infrastructure. You don’t need to be a tech company to think like one.
At ResultStack, we help fast-growing brands build smarter systems that scale. Whether you're looking to launch a loyalty program, modernize your backend, or explore new digital revenue streams, we offer free ROI assessments to show you what’s possible.