Crowd Lines Up For 'Fast, Healthy' Eatery' Now Open In Southwest RivCo

TEMECULA, CA — CAVA has come to Temecula. According to a city spokesperson, the popular Mediterranean eatery opened Thursday to a packed crowd and a line around the south Temecula building supporting Feeding America. Friday, they held the grand opening for the chain.

Temecula CAVA is located at 31709 Temecula Parkway, in the Vail Ranch Center, in the former Pacific Marine Credit Union building near Taco Bell. Its hours of operation are from 10:45 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week.

According to the CAVA website, the owners encourage you to download the CAVA app and sign up for rewards in advance of ordering. On Thursday, the doors opened at 10:45 a.m. Thursday for the soft opening in support of Feeding America

"Before our official opening, we invited the community in for a free meal while supporting Feeding America," a spokesperson for the chain said. To attain that, residents needed to follow the chain's Facebook page.

A spokesperson for Feeding America told Patch that CAVA accepted and matched donations up to $1,000, with all proceeds benefiting our food bank during the celebration.

"CAVA is a health-conscious Mediterranean food restaurant where you can customize bowls or pitas with a variety of clean-label ingredients and proteins, layer on as many toppings as you’d like, and add a refreshing, made-in-house drink," a city spokesperson said of the chain.

Those drinks include Strawberry Citrus, made in-house with fresh strawberries and lemon juice; Blueberry Lavender, made from a puree of each ingredient; Cucumber Mint Lime; and Classic Lemonade. Other items that will be served include falafel, a variety of meats, and fresh vegetables, including red onion, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, and kalamata olives. For side dishes, expect crunch pita chips and a variety of dips, including hummus and feta spreads.

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The first CAVA opened in 2010, and the service is "fast casual," according to a restaurant spokesperson.

Those who know compared it to "Chipotle, but with Greek food."

Residents expressed delight on social media, some claiming it was nice to have fast, healthy options close to work, while others wondered if the line would always take an hour, as it did for many on Thursday.

Most visitors were happy to stand in line for a good cause and some free food.

What will you order when you go?

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