In case you missed the media hoopla about Cava last week, the home-grown restaurant chain announced that it’s secured a second round of venture capital funding — $45 million this time — to continue its development and national expansion. Cava has a loyal following in the Rockville/Potomac area, where it it began nine years ago with a single restaurant on Traville Gateway Drive. Much of the company’s growth is now coming from its quick-serve division, Cava Mezze Grill, which will open its first West Coast locations this fall. But Cava also has experimented with other concepts, including Sugo at Park Potomac and the recently opened Brusco, a tiny luncheonette that sits next to a full-service Cava restaurant in Baltimore. Brusco focuses on street food like souvlaki, catfish sandwiches and buttermilk fried chicken — all priced at $10 or less. “It’s for people walking around at lunchtime who don’t necessarily have the time to sit and eat,” says Cava co-owner Ted Xenohristos. So will Brusco ever make it to Montgomery County? Xenohristos isn’t sure yet. “We’ve never really done a sandwich shop before,” he says. “First we have to see if we can run this one properly, and if it can be successful over a long period of time.”
