Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG) is probably best known for its assembly line-style fresh food preparation. Cava Group (NYSE: CAVA) has also built its foundation on the same concept, but with the distinction that Chipotle focuses on Mexican food while Cava specializes in Mediterranean fare. The latter, of course, is a much smaller chain, which makes the comparison with Chipotle extra interesting. Which is a better investment right now?

Every restaurant chain starts from modest beginnings, but not every restaurant chain can grow to have 3,500 locations like Chipotle. Sure, McDonald's (NYSE: MCD) and Yum! Brands' (NYSE: YUM) Taco Bell are both much larger, but they've also been around for a lot longer than Chipotle. Chipotle, in fact, has only been a public company since 2006, when it held its initial public offering.

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Source Fool.com