Cava on Sept. 30 appointed John Ludeke as chief marketing officer effective Oct. 12, per details shared with Marketing Dive. The executive will lead the fast-casual chain’s marketing organization and work to bolster brand differentiation, consumer engagement, digital experiences and the connection between marketing and experience.
Ludeke was most recently chief brand officer at Dr. Squatch, where his remit included creative, media, social, public relations, retail marketing, partnerships and strategy. The men’s personal care brand was acquired by Unilever during his tenure and is known for its edgy marketing efforts that have 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.
“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,” the executive added.
The chain has been looking for a CMO to focus on brand marketing and creative since the August departure of Andrew Rebhun, previously the chain’s chief marketing and experience officer.
Cava has recently outperformed competitors in the fast-casual space, notching a 9% increase in same-restaurant sales and 5.3% growth in guest traffic during Q2 2026. The chain spends just over 1% of revenue on marketing; for comparison, Chipotle expects marketing costs to represent about 3% of sales for the full year. In his new role, Ludeke is expected to support the company’s continued growth.
“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,” Ludeke said in a statement. “The company has tremendous momentum and a powerful opportunity to shape the future of the industry.”
