Melissa emphasizes the importance of human interaction in the dining experience, the role of continuous improvement, and the integration of sustainability practices. Sid and Melissa also discuss the evolving expectations of consumers for values-driven brands and the necessity for businesses to adapt their physical spaces to meet these demands.

Welcome to Elevating Brick and Mortar.  A podcast about how operations and facilities drive brand performance.

On today’s episode, we talk with Melissa Ng, SVP of Design and Construction at CAVA. CAVA is a Mediterranean fast casual restaurant chain with locations across the United States. Cava is owned by the publicly traded Cava Group.

GUEST:
Melissa Ng is SVP of Design & Construction at Cava Grill, and oversees the growth and evolution of Cava’s portfolio through new restaurant builds, a conversion program, and design innovation projects. Prior to that, she was Head of Design & Construction for Blink Fitness, when the Brand was growing via new Corporate and Franchise locations, as well as enhancing their Digital Offering to members. From 2012 to 2018, Melissa held various roles at Chipotle Mexican Grill, including Retail Design Director overseeing the Development Lab. During that time, her team created 3 new Restaurant Prototypes, and executed pilot projects to support the company’s Digital Ordering Channels. Earlier in her career, Melissa oversaw Corporate Workplace design at TD Bank Group, and designed Flagship stores for the Victoria’s Secret Pink Brand. Melissa has a background in Architecture and holds a BA from Cornell University.

TIMESTAMPS

00:31 - About CAVA

01:06 - Melissa’s journey

04:38 - CAVA’s mission

21:00 - How to ensure consistency

19:11 - Reacting to high consumer expectations

30:37 - ESG practices

37:25 - About Project Soul

41:12 - Find Melissa Ng on LinkedIn

SPONSOR:

ServiceChannel brings you peace of mind through peak facilities performance.

Rest easy knowing your locations are:

• Offering the best possible guest experience
• Living up to brand standards
• Operating with minimal downtime

ServiceChannel partners with more than 500 leading brands globally to provide visibility across operations, the flexibility to grow and adapt to consumer expectations, and accelerated performance from their asset fleet and service providers.

LINKS:

• Connect with Melissa on LinkedIn
• Connect with Sid Shetty on Linkedin
• Check out the ServiceChannel Website

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