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.”
A delegation from Washington, D.C. — including Mayor Muriel Bowser and representatives from the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development and the Washington D.C. Economic Partnership — has its own large booth at the annual ICSC conference at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
The officials used the confab to release a new strategic retail plan, an action framework designed to bolster D.C.’s retail sector and position the district for long-term growth in the current economy. The study, prepared by Streetsense, evaluates the district’s evolving retail landscape and offers strategies to align retail expansion with changing consumer behavior, neighborhood demand and post-pandemic business needs.
The new study found there’s strong retail demand in the city supported by nearly 700,000 residents, 743,000 jobs and more than 27 million annual visitors. All told, that demand generates an estimated $14 billion spending base citywide.
According to the report, “Retail demand is now anchored by residents and visitors.” Grocers are also being offered economic incentives to open up shop, Albert said.
The report found that in D.C. consumers are 14.6% more likely to shop online than the national average …
Thuma Inc., a San Francisco-based furniture retailer with fewer than a half-dozen stores, is coming to the District.
The company recently submitted plans pending review by the Commission of Fine Arts to build out space at 3229 M St. NW, a 7,094-square-foot building at the corner of Bank Alley and M Street NW.
Its selection of Georgetown further bolsters the neighborhood’s standing as a testing ground for new-to-the-area brands, including incoming footwear store Meermin, which has signed a lease at 3001 M St. NW. Georgetown has also emerged as a sort of magnet for furniture, design and home improvement brands, including Ikea, Ateliers Jacob, B&B Italia and Molteni&C.
Google is moving to lease the entire 231,000-square-foot office building at 500 N. Capitol St. NW near Union Station …
The tech giant has been building up its D.C. presence over the past several years. It subleased 130,000 square feet at 655 New York Ave. NW in 2022, but it’s not clear whether the firm still occupies the space. It also maintains about 100,000 square feet 25 Massachusetts Ave. NW that houses legal, government affairs and engineering teams. CoStar reported in recent weeks that Google is looking to vacate its Massachusetts Avenue office by the end of this year.
The Department of General Services, acting on behalf of the Department of Corrections, issued a request for information last week, seeking input from developers, designers, contractors and maintenance providers on plans to redevelop the 50-year-old Central Detention Facility at 1901 E St. SE into a “One Complex” operation, rather than a campus of independent structures.
“Washington, D.C. is the perfect market for where this brand is headed,” said Founder & CEO Derrick Hayes. “It’s culturally diverse, highly influential, and filled with consumers who connect with authentic concepts. Shawna has brought a new level of execution and strategic focus to our growth efforts, and we’re seeing that momentum translate into real expansion opportunities.”