Cava has appointed John Ludeke, most recently chief brand officer at Dr. Squatch, as chief marketing officer effective Oct. 12, the company announced Sept. 30. He will lead the fast-casual chain's marketing organization, with a mandate covering brand differentiation, consumer engagement, digital experiences and the link between marketing and the guest experience.

Ludeke arrives from a brand built on edgy marketing. At Dr. Squatch, the Unilever-owned men's personal care label, his remit spanned creative, media, social, public relations, retail marketing, partnerships and strategy. The brand was acquired by Unilever during his tenure. Its campaign roster under his watch included partnerships with Sydney Sweeney, Alan Ritchson, Megan Fox and, most recently, streamer IShowSpeed.

"One of the things that stands out about John is his ability to quickly understand the essence of a consumer brand and translate it into a meaningful marketing strategy that is relevant, distinctive, and true to the brand," Brett Schulman, co-founder and CEO of Cava, said in a statement.

Schulman framed the hire around an expansion agenda. "We have a unique, category-defining opportunity at Cava to bring the flavors, hospitality, and generosity of the Mediterranean to even more people. John brings the experience to help us do that, along with a leadership style grounded in curiosity, agility, positivity, and collective ambition," he said.

Cava has searched for a marketing chief focused on brand and creative since Andrew Rebhun, previously chief marketing and experience officer, departed in August.

The chain hands Ludeke one of the strongest operating records in fast casual. Cava posted a 9% increase in same-restaurant sales and 5.3% growth in guest traffic in Q2 2026, outperforming competitors in the category. It achieved those numbers on a lean budget: Cava spends just over 1% of revenue on marketing, while Chipotle expects marketing costs to run about 3% of sales for the full year.

Ludeke signaled continuity rather than overhaul in his first remarks. "Cava has built something truly special: a brand rooted in great food, warm hospitality and a clear point of view on how food should make people feel," he said in a statement. "The company has tremendous momentum and a powerful opportunity to shape the future of the industry."

Cava expects Ludeke to support the company's continued growth, giving a marketer with a track record of celebrity-driven, culture-first campaigns the task of scaling a Mediterranean fast-casual brand that has so far won share while spending a fraction of what its rivals allocate to marketing.