Wall Street Compares Cava to Chipotle. Here's What They're Getting Wrong.

In 2013, investors were going crazy for Chipotle Mexican Grill's (NYSE: CMG) stock. Share prices jumped 79% over the year as the market cheered the company's record-high revenue and profits. This fueled a ravenous appetite for new investment opportunities in the restaurant space, motivating Noodles & Company and Potbelly to both have initial public offerings (IPO) that year.

Shares of both Noodles & Company and Potbelly more than doubled in their first days of trading and were compared to red-hot Chipotle by Wall Street. But those investments haven't panned out. Both stocks are down significantly from their 2013 highs.