CAVA GROUP, INC. 8-K

What Happened
CAVA Group, Inc. announced the appointment of Douglas W. Thompson, age 62, as Chief Operations Officer, effective March 2, 2026. Mr. Thompson will oversee restaurant operations and field teams and report to CEO Brett Schulman. He most recently served as CEO of Tumble 22 Texas Chicken Joint (since Oct 2022) and was COO of Texas Roadhouse from Aug 2018–Dec 2021.

Key Details

• Base salary: $550,000 per year.
• Target annual cash bonus: 75% of base salary, based on individual goals and Board/Compensation Committee metrics.
• Equity compensation: eligible for annual equity awards beginning fiscal 2027 with ~ $1,200,000 grant-date value expected to vest 25% per year over 4 years; one-time time‑based RSU grant of ~ $500,000 expected to vest over 4 years.
• One-time relocation/sign-on bonus: $200,000.
• Eligible to participate in the Company’s Executive Severance Plan. No family relationships or related‑party transactions requiring disclosure were reported.

Why It Matters
This is a material executive hire for CAVA’s operations leadership as the company continues to scale its restaurant footprint. The compensation package (salary, bonus, equity and sign‑on) aligns Mr. Thompson’s incentives with multi‑year operational performance and retention. Investors should note the effective start date (March 2, 2026) and that formal offer terms will be filed as an exhibit to CAVA’s 2025 Form 10‑K.