New Mediterranean Restaurant Opening, Donating Meals In Anne Arundel

GAMBRILLS, MD — A new Mediterranean restaurant opens this week in Gambrills.

Cava, located in the Waugh Chapel Towne Centre, has a community preview day Thursday with free food for preregistered guests. The grand opening is Friday.

The salad, grain bowl and pita wrap eatery will donate meals and cash to celebrate its opening.

Cava replaces BurgerIM at 2515 Evergreen Road, Suite 101. It's located next to Orangetheory Fitness in the strip neighboring Outback Steakhouse.

Guests must preregister at this link to attend Thursday's preview day, where visitors will get a free meal while employees train.

Cava will match donations up to $1,000 that guests make to the Anne Arundel County Food Bank on preview day.

Cava is also donating hundreds of bowls and pitas during training week to Celestial Manna, a food recovery nonprofit that supports 20,000 people monthly throughout the DMV.

Cava founders Ike Grigoropoulos, Chef Dimitri Moshovitis and Ted Xenohristos have known each other since they were 6. They goofed off together during Sunday school at their Greek church. Afterward, they gathered for lunches of slow-roasted lamb, lemony potatoes, olives and tzatziki.

They opened the fast-casual eatery in 2010 to pay homage to their Mediterranean roots.

The menu features the balsamic date chicken salad, the greens and grains bowl and the crispy falafel pita wrap. Sides include hummus and feta cheese.

The chain now has locations in 24 states and Washington, D.C.

This is the third Cava in Anne Arundel County and the 23rd in Maryland.

The other locations are in:

• Annapolis
• Hanover
• Bethesda (Two locations)
• Bowie
• Potomac
• Baltimore
• College Park
• Columbia
• Frederick
• Germantown
• Hunt Valley
• Gaithersburg
• Lanham
• Laurel
• Nottingham
• Owings Mills
• Rockville (Two locations)
• Silver Spring
• Timonium
• Waldorf

Customers can learn more at cava.com.