Bringing Humanity to Your Service Model
With Melissa Ng, SVP of Design and Construction at CAVA
Melissa emphasizes the importance of human interaction in the dining experience, the role of continuous improvement, and the integration of sustainability practices.
Listen now:
ServiceChannel
Melissa emphasizes the importance of human interaction in the dining experience, the role of continuous improvement, and the integration of sustainability practices. Sid and Melissa also discuss the evolving expectations of consumers for values-driven brands and the necessity for businesses to adapt their physical spaces to meet these demands.
Welcome to Elevating Brick and Mortar.
The podcast about how operations and facilities drive brand performance.
On today’s episode, we talk with Melissa Ng, SVP of Design and Construction at CAVA. CAVA is a Mediterranean fast casual restaurant chain with locations across the United States. Cava is owned by the publicly traded Cava Group.
About the Guest
Melissa Ng is SVP of Design & Construction at Cava Grill, and oversees the growth and evolution of Cava’s portfolio through new restaurant builds, a conversion program, and design innovation projects. Prior to that, she was Head of Design & Construction for Blink Fitness, when the Brand was growing via new Corporate and Franchise locations, as well as enhancing their Digital Offering to members. From 2012 to 2018, Melissa held various roles at Chipotle Mexican Grill, including Retail Design Director overseeing the Development Lab. During that time, her team created 3 new Restaurant Prototypes, and executed pilot projects to support the company’s Digital Ordering Channels. Earlier in her career, Melissa oversaw Corporate Workplace design at TD Bank Group, and designed Flagship stores for the Victoria’s Secret Pink Brand. Melissa has a background in Architecture and holds a BA from Cornell University.
“I have a feeling we’re gonna see a lot more brands leaning in like CAVA is to make sure that restaurants still feel welcoming, that are acknowledging that interactions not only between employees and guests are important. Creating spaces where people can interact with each other.”
— Melissa Ng
TIMESTAMPS
** 00:31 – About CAVA
** 01:06 – Melissa’s journey
** 04:38 – CAVA’s mission
** 21:00 – How to ensure consistency
** 19:11 – Reacting to high consumer expectations
** 30:37 – ESG practices
** 37:25 – About Project Soul
** 41:12 – Find Melissa Ng on LinkedIn
SPONSOR:
ServiceChannel brings you peace of mind through peak facilities performance.
Rest easy knowing your locations are:
- Offering the best possible guest experience
- Living up to brand standards
- Operating with minimal downtime
ServiceChannel partners with more than 500 leading brands globally to provide visibility across operations, the flexibility to grow and adapt to consumer expectations, and accelerated performance from their asset fleet and service providers.
