There are a lot of ways to describe Lafayette and the things that we love, but new restaurants will always have a home at the top of the list.

I can tell you that I always love writing about restaurants opening as opposed to when I have to write about them closing. I can also tell you that no matter how stacked we are with amazing local restaurants and more than our share of chain options, Lafayette will always give a new restaurant a shot.

Back in August 2022, we told you about Zoë's Kitchen closing its doors in River Ranch, much to the surprise of some Lafayette residents. I was one of those shocked residents, as Zoë's Kitchen was one of my favorite spots to eat when I was in that part of town.

When the initial report came out, it was speculated that a CAVA restaurant could be opening former Zoë's Kitchen location. The fast-casual Mediterranean restaurant whose parent company, CAVA Group, bought Zoë's Kitchen outright has been converting its closed-down locations with a similar concept.

What's the difference between Zoë's Kitchen and CAVA?

While some of the Mediterranean offerings remain the same, CAVA is known for its line-style ordering system (think Izzo's, Chipotle, Subway) and offers a variety of bowls, salads, pitas, and other health-food meals.

A recent post in a Lafayette foodies Facebook group showed the latest progress on the old Zoë's Kitchen space as commenters took their best guesses as to what will be opening soon.

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While CAVA still seems to be the frontrunner, chains like Torchy's Tacos, Fuzzy's, and other fast-casual options were mentioned. It's also possible that a local concept could be opened in the space.

One interesting tidbit when it comes to the detail about the POUR golf cart being seen at the space is that the current owner of POUR was not the local Zoë's Kitchen franchisee.

If you want to play internet sleuth, you can see if the progress above matches any of the CAVA locations on their Facebook by following through the photo posted below.

Whatever opens in the space will enjoy an area with other restaurants and businesses in the area including Another Broken Egg, Bonefish Grill, PALMYRE, and more who enjoy good crowds on a regular basis.

Tell us what you would love to see open in the River Ranch space and we'll keep you posted when more details are confirmed.

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