Why CAVA’s Arrival in Chino Is Bigger Than a New Restaurant

Building where growth is actually happening.

When CAVA opened at Town Center at The Preserve on August 17, it looked like a typical grand opening. It wasn’t: it was proof of a leasing strategy built years ahead of one of the country’s fastest-growing markets.

A City Growing By The Numbers

Chino’s momentum is measured, not assumed. Zip code 91708, home to Town Center at The Preserve, was named America’s fastest-growing neighborhood by RentCafe, with a 14-fold increase in housing units between 2014 and 2023, more than any other zip code in the country. Town Center at The Preserve sits at the commercial heart of The Preserve at Chino, Lewis’s 1,125-acre, 8,000-home master-planned community, one of the largest active developments in the Inland Empire.

Built On A Thesis, Not Just A Food Court

That’s the gap strategic retail development closes. Long before CAVA broke ground, the center was built on a thesis: anchor with a daily-need grocer, then layer in fast-casual brands matching how growing households eat, alongside the everyday services a growing community actually needs.

CAVA joins Jersey Mike’s, Wingstop, Angry Chickz, Panera Bread, and Kenwood’s Kitchen, with the full lineup available here. As NetRealty reported, Chino and Eastvale residents had been asking for CAVA for months. National brands don’t expand on optimism, they expand where demand exists.

Dining is only part of the picture. The full directory reads like a checklist of everyday necessities: a dentist, an optometrist, a dermatologist, a credit union, a salon, a dry cleaner, tutoring at Mathnasium and Code Ninjas, and a UPS Store. This center was never designed to be a food destination alone. It was designed to be where the community handles daily life.

A Repeatable Playbook Across The Portfolio

Lewis pairs residential growth with retail across its portfolio, but the approach looks different from project to project. From The Preserve at Chino and The Resort in Rancho Cucamonga to Santa Barbara at Chino Hills, The Arboretum in Fontana, and upcoming projects like Santa Barbara at Parkside and Moreno Valley Town Center, retail is planned around the communities it serves. It’s the same discipline behind Courtyard at The Resort, sister property Main Street at The Preserve, and our broader portfolio.

Interested In Leasing At Town Center At The Preserve?

For more information about Town Center at The Preserve or leasing possibilities, please contact Lewis Retail Centers’ leasing team.