- Business
- Zoe's Kitchen, Inc. (ZOES) operates as a fast-casual restaurant chain specializing in Mediterranean-style cuisine, targeting women and families with fresh, health-oriented dishes such as salads, pitas, kabobs, hummus, soups, and grilled meats; it offers dine-in, takeout, online ordering, and mobile app services across various formats including in-line, end-cap, and free-standing locations. Founded in 1995 by Zoë and Marcus Cassimus in Homewood, Alabama, the company is headquartered in Plano, Texas, and historically expanded to over 200 locations across 17 U.S. states primarily in the Southeast and Southwest before its acquisition. As a subsidiary of CAVA Group, Inc. (NYSE: CAVA) following a $300 million all-cash acquisition in November 2018 at $12.75 per share, Zoe's Kitchen has undergone significant integration, including location conversions to CAVA restaurants, operational efficiencies under new leadership such as a CFO appointment in June 2025, and stabilization efforts amid credit risk management with a B3 rating; recent family-led revivals by the founders' son, including Zoe's & Marky's Kitchen in Tuscaloosa in 2025, aim to restore original menu elements while CAVA leverages the portfolio for Sunbelt growth.