Mediterranean fast-casual restaurant brand CAVA has joined the U.S. Food Waste Pact, becoming the fourth quick-service restaurant to participate in the voluntary initiative led by ReFED and World Wildlife Fund to reduce food waste throughout the supply chain. CAVA joins 27 other food businesses and organizations signing onto the Pact’s voluntary agreement, which utilizes the “Target, Measure, Act” framework to facilitate industry collaboration and action.
According to ReFED, 31% of food produced in the United States goes uneaten or unsold, with the vast majority becoming waste sent to destinations including landfills, incinerators, and sewer systems. The surplus food generated in the quick-service subsector is equivalent to over four billion meals and is valued at nearly 30 billion dollars, giving these restaurants significant opportunity to improve operational efficiency while supporting communities.
“Joining the U.S. Food Waste Pact only bolsters our mission to bring heart, health, and humanity to food,” said Jenny Roberts, Senior Director Sourcing and Sustainability at CAVA. “We’re focused on making CAVA restaurants an important part of their communities through food donation programs and outreach, and we’ve been testing waste management strategies to keep food out of landfills. Getting the opportunity to share insights with our peers through the Pact will maximize these efforts and help us launch new ones, reducing food waste in our own operations and across the food system.”
Food donation and waste reduction initiatives
In 2024, CAVA donated nearly 43,000 meals to communities in need through a food donation program that donates food prepared during training periods at new locations to local food banks. The company’s “Thoughtful Cooking” approach limits food preparation to only what is needed, reducing food waste in operations.
CAVA has also sponsored the ReFED Food Waste Solutions Summit, facilitating collaboration and conversation between food system experts at the gathering focused on food waste reduction.
“We are excited to have CAVA join the U.S. Food Waste Pact,” said Jackie Suggitt, vice president of business initiatives & community engagement at ReFED. “They’re committed to reducing waste while getting food to those who need it, and they’ll be a valued voice in the room when exploring innovative food waste reduction ideas. We look forward to their collaboration with other signatories, and we hope that they inspire others in the subsector to address food waste.”
U.S. Food Waste Pact membership
CAVA is the 28th business to join the U.S. Food Waste Pact. Other signatories include retailers Albertsons Companies, Ahold Delhaize USA, ALDI US, Amazon Fresh, Kroger, New Seasons Market, Raley’s, Sprouts Farmers Market, Walmart Inc., and Whole Foods Market; manufacturers Bob’s Red Mill, Del Monte Fresh Produce Company, and Lamb Weston, Inc.; coalition signatories Health Care Without Harm and R&DE Stanford Food Institute; trade associations FMI—The Food Industry Association and Western Growers Association; foodservice signatories Aramark, Compass Group USA, ISS Guckenheimer, and Sodexo USA; quick-service restaurants Chick-fil-A, Starbucks, and Wawa; hospitality signatory Hilton; and distributors Organically Grown Company and Midwest Foods.
The U.S. Food Waste Pact is a national voluntary agreement that uses the “Target, Measure, Act” framework to reduce food waste across the supply chain. The Pact works with waste-generating food businesses and organizations to collect and analyze data about food waste in their operations, share best practices through precompetitive working groups, and test and scale solutions through intervention projects.
The initiative provides a platform for businesses to collaborate on food waste reduction strategies while maintaining competitive operations. By participating in working groups and intervention projects, signatories can access shared knowledge and resources to implement solutions suited to their specific operational contexts.
CAVA’s participation expands quick-service restaurant representation in the Pact alongside Chick-fil-A, Starbucks, and Wawa.
