In the same year that CAVA celebrated the opening of its 500th restaurant nationwide, the full-service restaurant that started it all is celebrating its 20th anniversary. Cava Mezze, which first opened at 9713 Traville Gateway Drive in Rockville in 2006, has reached the two-decade milestone, marking 20 years since three Montgomery County natives opened the restaurant that would eventually lead to one of the country’s fastest-growing restaurants.
Cava Mezze was founded by three first-generation Greek Americans with deep roots in Montgomery County. Ted Xenohristos graduated from Paint Branch High School, Ike Grigoropoulos graduated from Gaithersburg High School, and Chef Dimitri Moshovitis attended Quince Orchard High School. The trio opened the original Rockville restaurant in 2006, introducing a menu of small plates inspired by their Greek heritage and a dining experience centered around hospitality, sharing food, and bringing people together.
The restaurant expanded to Olney in late 2015, opening a second Montgomery County location that continues to operate today. While CAVA has grown into a national fast-casual brand, Cava Mezze has remained a full-service dining concept, offering a different experience from the quick-service restaurants that followed.
To mark its 20th anniversary, Cava Mezze in Olney is also offering a special anniversary menu featuring five dishes and two cocktails. Food selections include Mr. Fred’s Fish, featuring pan-roasted fish of the day with herb yogurt, cremini mushrooms, and crispy potatoes (market price); the return of lollipop chicken with Greek yogurt, honey, and walnuts ($17); shrimp saganaki with grated tomato, feta, mint, and grilled sourdough ($18); lamb kapama with braised lamb shoulder, orzo, tomato, and kefalograviera cheese ($23); and chickpea fritters served with hummus, green harissa, and tahini ($16). The anniversary cocktail selections include cucumber gin, made with gin, elderflower, lemon, cucumber, Luxardo, and simple syrup ($13), and spiced pear, featuring spiced pear vodka, lime, elderflower, and cinnamon syrup ($13).
As part of the 20th anniversary celebration, we recently visited Cava Mezze in Olney to catch up with Gus Moshovitis, the brother of co-founder Dimitri Moshovitis, who has been with the restaurant since it first opened in Rockville in 2006. Gus has played an important role in Cava Mezze’s success over the past two decades, particularly through his dedication to hospitality and making guests feel welcome. Although he can still occasionally be found at the original Rockville location, Gus now spends most of his time at Cava Mezze in Olney. In our video, he discusses what hospitality means to him, his approach to making customers feel at home, and his three favorite dishes on the menu after 20 years with the restaurant. The video is available below.
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