After Cava's Surge, Here Are the 3 Best Consumer Stocks to Buy Now
Cava's breakout year may be grabbing headlines, but these three consumer stocks could offer the next wave of growth-driven gains.
After Cava's Surge, Here Are the 3 Best Consumer Stocks to Buy Now
Overview
Cava Group (NYSE: CAVA) has been one of the most satisfying stories in consumer investing this year. The Mediterranean fast-casual chain is up roughly 52% year to date, driven by real business momentum. In Q1 2026, the company grew revenue 32.2% and posted same-restaurant sales growth of 9.7%, nearly all of it from actual guest traffic rather than price increases. It launched its largest new menu in company history at the start of the year, adding white sweet potatoes back by popular demand and introducing glazed salmon -- its first-ever seafood protein -- in a new market expansion into St. Louis. It's hiring 2,500 new employees and opening 75 new restaurant locations in 2026 alone.
For investors who have been watching that run from the sidelines: The Cava story isn't over, but there are three consumer companies adjacent to that same tailwind -- health-forward, culturally connected brands with real operational momentum -- that haven't priced in as much optimism yet.
Details
Sweetgreen (NYSE: SG) is building a restaurant chain and a kitchen technology company at the same time, and the market hasn't fully decided which one to value it as.
Source
Originally published at www.fool.com.
