Montgomery County was proudly represented on one of the biggest financial stages in the world this week as Dimitri Moshovitis, co-founder of CAVA and alumnus of Quince Orchard High School, joined the Greek and Greek-American delegation at the New York Stock Exchange for its annual Greek-American Issuer Day bell-ringing ceremony on Wednesday, December 10th.
The event celebrates Greek companies and Greek-American led firms listed on the NYSE, recognizing their impact on global markets and the strong ties between the United States and Greece. Representatives from several prominent issuers participated, including leaders from Tsakos Energy Navigation, Ameresco, Dorian LPG, Navios Maritime Partners, CAVA Group, and more.
Moshovitis attended on behalf of CAVA, the fast-casual Mediterranean company that started right here in Montgomery County and has become one of the nation’s most recognizable restaurant brands. His presence highlighted both CAVA’s continued growth and the deep Greek heritage at the heart of the company.
The CAVA journey began here in MoCo. In 2006, first-generation Greek Americans Ted Xenohristos (Paint Branch High School), Ike Grigoropoulos (Gaithersburg High School), and Dimitri Moshovitis (Quince Orchard High School) opened the first Cava Mezze restaurant in Rockville’s Traville Gateway shopping center, with Moshovitis serving as executive chef.
Their success quickly expanded. By 2008, the trio introduced a line of dips and spreads that landed in more than 200 grocery stores, including Whole Foods. In 2009, Brett Schulman joined the team as CEO and co-founder of what would evolve into the fast-casual chain now known simply as CAVA. The first CAVA restaurant opened in Bethesda in January 2011. The brand soon scaled nationwide and made headlines with its IPO on the New York Stock Exchange in 2023.
Greek-American Issuer Day at the NYSE shines a spotlight on companies with Greek leadership or heritage that have made a significant impact in sectors ranging from energy and shipping to food and sustainability. For many attendees, the event is both a cultural and professional point of pride.
This year’s ceremony reaffirmed the growing influence of Greek and Greek-American entrepreneurs in the United States. For Montgomery County residents, it also underscored the local-to-global story of CAVA and its founders, who took a MoCo-born idea and built it into a publicly traded company represented on Wall Street. A reminder once again that some of Montgomery County’s biggest stories begin in our own backyard.
