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Cava named No. 1 Brand of 2026 at Fast Casual Top 100 Gala

Cava secured the top honors following a year of monumental growth, including a 22.5% revenue increase and reaching $1.1 billion in annual sales.

Cava CEO Brett Schulman and his team celebrate their win. Photos: Willie Lawless

May 18, 2026

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In a year defined by the intersection of high-tech efficiency and high-touch hospitality, Cava has claimed the No. 1 spot on the 2026 Fast Casual Top 100 Movers & Shakers list.

The announcement served as the pinnacle of the 11th annual gala, where industry leaders gathered to celebrate the "Shakers" disrupting the status quo and the "Movers" pushing the hospitality segment forward.

Cava secured the top honors following a year of monumental growth, including a 22.5% revenue increase and reaching $1.1 billion in annual sales. While many competitors pivoted toward total automation, Cava was recognized for its "human-centered" strategy, prioritizing Mediterranean hospitality and culinary integrity even as it scaled its national footprint.

"You've navigated a complex year with grace, used technology to bridge gaps and never lost sight of the guest experience," said Cherryh Cansler, host of the event and publisher of FastCasual. "Tonight is about celebrating the class of 2026."

Special awards and industry Innovation

The ceremony, co-hosted by Alexis Marrero of Loop AI, utilized the Fast Casual Index to aggregate data on hundreds of nominations before a panel of judges ranked the final winners based on leadership, innovation, and culture.

Several brands took home specialty honors for excellence in specific categories:

• Excellence in Guest Experience: Cheba Hut (awarded in partnership with Ovation).
• Leading Health Forward Brand: Pita Pit (awarded in partnership with Restroworks).
• Innovation Award: Ziggi's Coffee was recognized for its tech-forward drive-thru experience and consistency (awarded in partnership with NCR Voyix).
• Best Dressed: The "Stacey Kane and Zack Oates Best Dressed Award" was presented toDerrick Hayes, founder of Big Dave's Cheesesteak, and Brittany Mercer of Cowboy Chicken,who brought a lot of sparkles and flair to the gala.

  Brittany Mercer of Cowboy Chickn was selected as Best Dressed Woman.

Top 10 brands of 2026

The final countdown saw a mix of heritage brands and "super-premium" newcomers. Dave's Hot Chicken took the No. 2 spot after being named Yelp's "Most Loved Brand," while Chicken Salad Chick rounded out the top three as it surpassed its 300th location.

1. Cava.
2. Dave's Hot Chicken.
3. Chicken Salad Chick.
4. Big Dave's Cheesesteaks.
5. Smalls Sliders.
6. Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers.
7. Hopdoddy Burger Bar.
8. Velvet Taco.
9. Original ChopShop.
10. Bango.

    Derrick Hayes, founder of Big Dave's Cheesesteaks, celebrates his win as Best Dressed Man.

    To read about all 100 brands and 25 executives, click here.

Madison Newcomb named Fast Casual Woman of the Year

The most emotional moment of the evening came with the presentation of the Fast Casual Woman of the Year award to Madison Newcomb of Newk's Eatery.

Presented by Robin Blanchette, founder of Norton Creative, and Kelly Grogan, founder of CRUMBS, the award honored Newcomb's leadership of Newk's Cares, the philanthropic arm of Newk's Eatery. Under her direction, the foundation has raised more than $2.3 million for ovarian cancer early detection research.

The award holds deep significance for the Newk's family; the foundation was inspired by Madison's mother, Lori Newcomb, who passed away from the disease.

"She has turned profound loss into purpose," Blanchette said during the presentation. "She has turned grief into action and built something her mother would be unbelievably proud of. Lori — this one is for you."

Looking Ahead

Robin Blanchette hugs Fast Casual Woman of the Year Madison Newcomb.

The gala concluded with a celebration of the Top 25 executives in the industry, highlighting leaders who have mastered the balance of digital transformation and brand authenticity.

Following the ceremony, attendees moved to the after-party sponsored by Entegra to toast a year of resilience and record-breaking growth in the fast-casual sector.

To read about all 100 brands and 25 executives, click here to download the Fast Casual Top 100 Movers & Shakers Report. The report was sponsored by Elo.

Included In This Story

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Big Dave's Cheesesteaks

Inspired to bring his West Philly roots to Georgia, Derrick Hayes launched Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks in honor of his late father. The brand gained buzz when Philly native actress Eve visited the original 700-sq-ft Dunwoody gas-station shop. Today Big Dave’s spans Atlanta, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Orlando venues, a food truck and new SC franchises!

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Ovation

How Great Restaurants Get Better - Guest Experience Management Platform

Ovation is a guest experience platform for multi-unit restaurants that starts with a 2-question survey to drive revenue, streamline guest recovery, and easily improve operations. Thousands of restaurants, including leading brands like Dave's Hot Chicken, use Ovation to get more feedback, recover guests in real-time, and improve.

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