CAVA 8-K
Cava Group, Inc. (CAVA)
8-K
2026-01-12
For: 2026-01-12
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Added on
April 11, 2026
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): January 12, 2026
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation) | (Commission File Number) | (IRS Employer Identification No.) | ||||||
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Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (202 ) 400-2920
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Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:
| Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425) | |||||
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Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
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Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).
Emerging growth company ☐
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Item 5.02 Departure of Certain Directors or Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.
On January 12, 2026, CAVA Group, Inc. (the “Company”), announced the appointment of Douglas W. Thompson, 62, as the Company’s Chief Operations Officer, effective as of March 2, 2026. Mr. Thompson will oversee the Company’s restaurant operations and field teams and report directly to the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, Brett Schulman.
Since October 2022, Mr. Thompson served as Chief Executive Officer of Tumble 22 Texas Chicken Joint, a Texas-based restaurant company. From August 2018 until December 2021, Mr. Thompson served as the Chief Operating Officer for Texas Roadhouse, where he also served as Vice President of Operations from January 2015 until August 2018 and in additional operational positions since August 2002. Prior to that, Mr. Thompson served in various operational roles at Carrabba’s Italian Grill and Outback Steakhouse.
In connection with this appointment, Mr. Thompson entered into an offer letter agreement with the Company, as amended, setting forth the terms of his employment (the “Offer Letter”). The Offer Letter provides that Mr. Thompson will receive an annual base salary of $550,000 and will have an annual target cash bonus opportunity equal to 75% of his annual base salary based on applicable individual goals and performance metrics as determined by the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of the Company or the Compensation Committee of the Board (the “Compensation Committee”). Commencing in fiscal year 2027, as determined by the Board or the Compensation Committee, Mr. Thompson will be eligible to receive an annual equity award with a grant date value of approximately $1,200,000, which award(s) are expected to vest over a 4-year term at a rate of 25% annually. The Offer Letter further provides that Mr. Thompson will be granted a one-time grant of time-based restricted stock units in connection with his commencement of employment with a grant date value of approximately $500,000, expected to vest over four years following the date of grant, subject to continued employment. The Offer Letter further provides that Mr. Thompson will receive a relocation/sign-on bonus of $200,000. Mr. Thompson will also be eligible to participate in the Company’s Executive Severance Plan in accordance with its terms.
The foregoing description of the Offer Letter is only a summary and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the text of the Offer Letter, which will be filed as an exhibit to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 28, 2025.
There is no arrangement or understanding between Mr. Thompson and any other persons or entities pursuant to which Mr. Thompson was appointed to serve as Chief Operations Officer. Mr. Thompson does not have any family relationship with the Company’s executive officers or directors nor are there any related party transactions between the Company and Mr. Thompson that would require disclosure under Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K.
Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(d) Exhibits.
The following exhibit is being furnished as part of this report:
| Exhibit No. | Description | |||||||
| 99.1 | ||||||||
| 104 | The cover page from this Current Report on Form 8-K, formatted in Inline XBRL | |||||||
Signatures
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
| Date: January 12, 2026 | CAVA Group, Inc. | ||||||||||
| By: | /s/ Tricia Tolivar | ||||||||||
| Name: | Tricia Tolivar | ||||||||||
| Title: | Chief Financial Officer | ||||||||||
Exhibit 99.1
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CAVA Names Doug Thompson Chief Operations Officer to Lead Next Phase of Growth
Washington, D.C. — January 12, 2026 — CAVA, the category-defining fast casual Mediterranean brand known for its bold, flavorful food and focus on heart-forward hospitality, today announced the appointment of Doug Thompson as Chief Operations Officer, effective March 2.
In this role, Thompson will oversee CAVA’s restaurant operations and field teams, helping the company deliver on its mission to bring heart, health, and humanity to food as it continues its rapid expansion across the country. Thompson is a veteran in the industry, spending over two decades at Texas Roadhouse, where he served as COO and VP of Operations. During his tenure, Thompson oversaw widespread development of new restaurant openings, helped develop two new restaurant concepts and directed operations through 40 consecutive quarters of positive comparable sales.
A people-first leader recognized for building high-performing teams and cultivating the next generation of talent – Thompson built a transformational pipeline of restaurant leaders, coaching and training teams to grow into management positions across the organization – supporting exceptional growth.
Most recently Thompson was CEO of Tumble 22 Texas Chicken Joint, a Texas-based chicken concept. Throughout his time with the company, Thompson led significant expansion and growth, doubling the number of locations and building the infrastructure and team to support its ambitious plans. Over the course of his expansive career, Thompson also served in roles at Carrabba’s Italian Grill and Outback Steakhouse.
“Doug is the kind of leader who puts people at the center of everything he does, and that’s exactly the ethos that CAVA was founded upon, said Brett Schulman, Co-founder and CEO of CAVA. “We’re at a meaningful inflection point in our journey, and as we continue to scale, our commitment remains clear: to run great restaurants, care deeply for our teams, delight our guests with Mediterranean warmth and hospitality, and ensure CAVA is a place where people build lasting careers, not just find a job. Doug’s career began on the line as a grill cook and restaurant operator, and that experience has shaped how he leads with empathy, humility, and a deep respect for the people who power our restaurants every day. We’re thrilled to welcome Doug to the CAVA table and confident he will help us grow in a way that stays true to who we are.”
Thompson brings a track record of scaling brands, developing talent, and delivering results while keeping people and hospitality at the heart of his leadership. At CAVA, Thompson will help ensure every restaurant delivers on the company’s mission, where teams flourish and guests feel valued.
“I’m excited to be joining CAVA at such a pivotal moment,” said Doug Thompson, CAVA’s newly appointed COO. “From CAVA’s purpose-driven mission to its commitment to nourishing people and communities, CAVA is a truly special place. I’m inspired by the passion of the team and energized by the opportunity to help lead its next phase of growth and make CAVA not just a category-defining brand, but an industry-leading one.”
About CAVA Group:
CAVA is the category-defining Mediterranean fast-casual restaurant brand, bringing together healthful food and bold, satisfying flavors at scale. Our brand and our opportunity transcend the Mediterranean category to compete in the large and growing limited-service restaurant sector as well as the health and wellness food category. CAVA serves guests across age groups, genders, and income brackets and benefits from generational tailwinds created by consumer demand for healthy living and a demographic shift towards greater ethnic diversity. We meet consumers’ desires to engage with convenient, authentic, purpose-driven brands that view food as a source of self-expression. The broad appeal of our food combined with these favorable industry trends drive our vast opportunity for continued growth.
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