569: Cava’s Secret Sauce with Co-Founder Ted Xenohristos

We’re pretty sure many of you have at least heard of Cava and have possibly ordered lunch or dinner from the wildly popular Mediterranean restaurant chain. In this episode, we have a really cool conversation with Cava’s cofounder, Ted Xenohristos. We talk about the company’s early days and how Ted’s Greek heritage and detail-minded approach have made Cava one of the biggest restaurant stories in years. We discuss the group’s broad expansion, how the company’s IPO changed everything (and nothing at all), and how Ted looks at developing culinary ideas that are accessible, a little exotic, and pretty darn delicious. Also on the show we have a great talk with actor Alexandra Metz. She plays Dr. Yolanda Garcia on one of our favorite shows of the year, the medical drama The Pitt. We talk about filming the intense emergency room scenes, and what it’s like to hit craft service after sawing off a patient’s limb (act sawing, of course). We also hear about all the food in her life growing up in a Jewish and Latina household. Follow her Instagram: @metzaballsoup. Do you enjoy This Is TASTE? Drop us a review on Apple, or star us on Spotify. We’d love to hear from you.

By This Is TASTE

3:00 AM EDT on April 7, 2025

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Note: this podcast contains explicit content.

Episode Info

Episode569

We’re pretty sure many of you have at least heard of Cava and have possibly ordered lunch or dinner from the wildly popular Mediterranean restaurant chain. In this episode, we have a really cool conversation with Cava’s cofounder, Ted Xenohristos. We talk about the company’s early days and how Ted’s Greek heritage and detail-minded approach have made Cava one of the biggest restaurant stories in years. We discuss the group’s broad expansion, how the company’s IPO changed everything (and nothing at all), and how Ted looks at developing culinary ideas that are accessible, a little exotic, and pretty darn delicious. Also on the show we have a great talk with actor Alexandra Metz. She plays Dr. Yolanda Garcia on one of our favorite shows of the year, the medical drama The Pitt. We talk about filming the intense emergency room scenes, and what it’s like to hit craft service after sawing off a patient’s limb (act sawing, of course). We also hear about all the food in her life growing up in a Jewish and Latina household. Follow her Instagram: @metzaballsoup.Do you enjoy This Is TASTE? Drop us a review on Apple, or star us on Spotify. We’d love to hear from you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices