Cava's CEO said weight-loss drugs are fuelling the rise of a "big kids" market.
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Kids' meals are in vogue, according to Cava CEO Brett Schulman.The slop bowl chain is seeing an increasing consumer base that he calls "big kids" — adult customers on GLP-1 drugs opting for kids' portions.In response to a question during a Tuesday earnings call about how weight-loss drugs were changing consumer behaviors, Schulman said Cava's offerings were already in line with what GLP-1 Consumers want: "GLPs are shifting folks more to our style of eating.""We have seen some of our — we call them big kids — opt into our kids meal a little bit more in recent months from a portion standpoint, but in general we've just seen more people shifting to our brand and our style of eating and the Mediterranean diet, which addresses the protein needs that a lot of folks are looking for," he said.Cava offers an $8.25 kids' meal that includes half portions of grains and mains, according to its website. The full-sized build-your-own bowls start from $12.95.The casual food chain's observation of "big kids" consumers is the latest example of the "Ozempification of American food," a trend in which Americans with shrinking appetites opt for smaller portion sizes.Packaged food brands like General Mills and Conagra Brands have already introduced smaller-portion products, sometimes labeled "GLP-1 Friendly."
