Cava looks to make temporary section a permanent part of restaurant

Cava restaurant in Southington is looking to turn a COVID-era temporary eating area into a permanent addition to the building.

During the COVID pandemic and social distancing requirement, owners of the restaurant erected a roughly 3,000-square-foot outdoor, enclosed, steel-frame accessory structure in the parking lot at 1615 West St., Route 229.

The space has been used as an extra dining area and can hold roughly 100 guests.

The application by Plantsville-based Eleni Real Estate and principals Eleni and Stavros Papahristou to the town Planning and Zoning Commission seeks permission to permanently relocate that section to the rear of the building and to use a basement area for storage.

The popular restaurant sits on more than 2 acres and features a main dining room, bar area, fireplace room and several porches and patios, including a rooftop deck for dining.     

A report from Fuss & O’Neill engineering firm said the proposed expansion won’t generate significant additional traffic volumes during peak hours.