Council approves CAVA fast-food permit, 12-0

City Council · Meeting of October 13, 2026

WALTHAM — The Waltham City Council voted 12-0 to approve a special permit letting CAVA Group open a fast-food restaurant at 96 Tower Road, while continuing a parallel Sweetgreen Boston LLC permit hearing for the same address to November 23. Attorney Michael Connors represented Sweetgreen, telling councillors the chain's proposed 2,463-square-foot shop would include 32 outdoor seats and run 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. The council also approved $455,768 in Community Preservation Act funds split among Gore Place window restoration ($320,000), the Community Day Center ($85,000) and First Parish Church steeple work ($50,768); Councillor Colleen Bradley-MacArthur recused herself from the church vote as "a paying member of the church." Council President Robert G. Logan noted Councillor Paul S. Katz was absent, "recovering from surgery." Separately, the council referred a $462,755 loan authorization for Police Station design work and an October 19 Tecton Architects presentation to committee.

In the full story:

• Roll Call and Opening Business
• Public Hearing: Sweetgreen Special Permit, 96 Tower Road
• — Attorney Michael Connors, in response to Councillor LaFauci's questions about the adjacent CAVA application
• Public Hearing: CAVA Group Special Permit, 96 Tower Road
• Communications from the Mayor
• Committee of the Whole
• Long Term Debt & Capital Planning: CPA Allocations
• Licenses and Franchises
• Adjournment
• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report: 1,925 words

Source: the City Council meeting of October 13, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript.