CAVA on North El Camino Real in Encinitas brings Washington D.C.-born Mediterranean fast-casual dining to the Encinitas Town Center, operating from a 2,684-square-foot kitchen that opened in October 2018 as the chain's first San Diego County location. Founded in 2011 by three childhood friends the brand builds customizable greens-and-grains bowls, pitas, and salads from a scratch-made ingredient line that includes its trademarked Crazy Feta and house-blended harissa — a build-your-own Mediterranean format distinct from the plated curries at Tandoori Palace on the same El Camino Real corridor. Seven grilled-to-order proteins rotate alongside saffron basmati rice, black lentils, and seasonal roasted vegetable toppings, producing over 58 million possible bowl combinations from the assembly line. The counter-service model seats 52 and handles the same health-conscious lunch volume as plant-based kitchens like Plant Power Fast Food in the New Encinitas dining cluster east of I-5. San Diego County Environmental Health lists the Encinitas Town Center kitchen at a 97-out-of-100 inspection score, and the chain trades publicly on the NYSE under ticker CAVA.