Can you buy a CAVA franchise?
CAVA doesn't sell franchises in the United States, so you can't buy one there. CAVA owns every restaurant itself.
CAVA's restaurant business, per its annual report, covers the operations of all company-owned restaurants and a dips and spreads business grocery stores carry. Because CAVA franchises none of its restaurants, a franchise fee and FDD do not exist. See the 2025 CAVA annual report (Form 10-K).
Other restaurant franchises you can buy
Each of these 13 restaurant franchises sells franchises and lists its costs in a current FDD.
| Brand | total, lowest to highest | one-time fee | ongoing, usually a % of sales | does the brand show sales figures | Year filed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Subway | $263K to $630K | $15,000 | 8% | No | 2026 |
| Jimmy John's | $366K to $734K | $35,000 | 6% | Yes | 2026 |
| Firehouse Subs | $405K to $876K | $20,000 | 6% | Yes | 2026 |
| Jersey Mike's | $436K to $1.16M | $20,000 | 6.5% | Yes | 2026 |
| Arby's | $869K to $2.46M | $37,500 | 4% | Yes | 2026 |
| Five Guys | $928K to $1.38M | $25,000 | 6% | No | 2026 |
| Panera Bread | $1.34M to $4.57M | $50,000 | 5% | Yes | 2026 |
| McDonald's | $1.47M to $2.64M | $45,000 | 5% (plus rent) | Yes | 2024 |
| Sonic Drive-In | $1.49M to $2.52M | $15,000 | 5% | Yes | 2026 |
| Wendy's | $1.52M to $2.99M | $50,000 | 4% | Yes | 2025 |
Before you buy, a brand has to hand over its Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD); the brand's latest one is where every figure comes from. After opening, the royalty is what you keep paying the brand: a share of sales or a fixed amount. The column "Sales or earnings shown" tells you if the brand discloses location revenue. A K stands for thousand, an M for million. The filing year is the year that FDD was listed with the Minnesota Department of Commerce.
Want something like CAVA that you can own?
A franchise consultant can suggest brands in the same field that fit your cash and your area.