After months of anticipation, the restaurant lineup at Schertz Station is finally starting to take shape with Mediterranean flavors. Buzzy chains Piada Italian Street Food and CAVA have announced their grand openings at the bustling 18430 I-35 N shopping center.

CAVA
First up is Washington D.C. based CAVA, debuting on February 25. Founded in 2006 by first-generation Greek Americans Ted Xenohristos, Ike Grigoropoulos, and Dimitri Moshovitis, the restaurant combines traditional mezze plates with a build-your-own bowl format similar to Chipotle.

Guests start with a base of grains, salad, or both before adding dips like hummus, tzatziki, and harissa, proteins, vegetables, and dressings. The spot also offers pita wraps, sweets like brownies, and a variety of refreshers in flavors such as tangerine-aleppo pepper and cucumber-mint-lime.

With six current locations in the city limits, the concept is not new to San Antonio. But as with all CAVA openings, the new Schertz store will accept donations for local nonprofits, matching the donations up to $1,000.

“Our mission is to bring heart, health, and humanity to food, and everything we do at CAVA is grounded in that spirit of generosity, to our guests, our team members, and our community,” said Louie Lovejoy, Regional Director, via a release. “We couldn’t be more thrilled to be in Schertz Station and grow our presence in the area.”

Piada Italian Street Food is famous for its wrap sandwiches.Photo courtesy of Piada Italian Street Food.

Piada Italian Street Food
Hot on the heels of CAVA will be the San Antonio area’s introduction to Piada. The new location, one of two planned for the region, will open on March 25. The concept is known for its grilled wrap-type sandwiches, sometimes called an “Italian taco.”

Entrepreneur Chris Doody created the brand in Columbus, Ohio, in 2010, taking inspiration from his travels. Once home, he wanted to create the feel of the roadside family-run food carts and markets he encountered in Rimini, a seaside community in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy.

In addition to the sandwiches, the restaurant also serves other entrées, including seasonal chopped salads, traditional pastas topped with marinara and other sauces, and “fit bowls” keyed to keto and high-protein diets. Sides range from simple mac ‘n’ cheese bowls to a Hot Pocket-style pastry filled with meatballs, sausage, or creamy spinach and artichoke.

Once open, CAVA and Piada will join a host of other restaurants in the booming Schertz retail hub, including Dave’s Hot Chicken, Hopdoddy Burger Boy, and the long-awaited debut of Portillo’s.