Irnisha P.
Yelp
Dear Management at Cava-Culver City,
I am writing to formally share my recent and deeply disappointing experience at your Culver City location on 7/22/2025.
Last night, my aunt and I encountered extremely rude and unprofessional behavior from two male employees--neither of whom were wearing name tags. I requested extra pickled onions, and one of them dismissively responded, "I mean, this is all we have left." When my aunt later asked for the same item, he stated, "She took them all," referring to me. She asked if there were any in the back and he said no. That was hard to believe. This interaction occurred despite the restaurant still having over two hours left until closing.
I asked why he was being so rude, especially since it was my aunt's first time visiting your establishment, and she was not receiving a welcoming experience. The man at the register, who initially claimed to be the manager, spoke with the rude employee and then said, "It's something wrong with her," referring to me. A young female employee apologized and mentioned they were having a tough day, which I appreciated.
As my aunt attempted to express her concerns to the supposed "manager," he continued to cut her off repeatedly, saying, "Anything else?" When I asked for the name of the rude employee, the man refused, claiming he could not provide it. My aunt pointed out that all other employees had visible name tags except those two, so the refusal felt evasive.
My aunt then requested extra steak (fully aware of the additional charge), and the man refused. Once again, the young female staff member stepped in and said that extra toppings were available with an additional cost--something we were more than willing to pay.
When I informed them I would be contacting corporate, the man who had earlier said he was the manager suddenly backtracked and said he was the "culinary something"--I don't recall the exact title. Regardless, the conflicting statements were confusing and unprofessional.
We were the only African American customers in the restaurant at the time, aside from one staff member. While I am not quick to assume motives, the lack of respect and dismissive tone we received makes me question if our treatment was influenced by bias. Whether intentional or not, the service we received was unacceptable, unethical, and far from the standard I have come to expect--especially compared to the exceptional service I consistently receive at your USC location.
Attached are the receipt and photos of the two male employees involved.
I was not given the correct management information, I have had to use my own searching on Google. I hope this message gets routed to the appropriate department.
I sincerely hope this matter is addressed with seriousness. Customers deserve to be treated with basic respect and courtesy--especially when raising valid concerns.
Thank you for your time and attention. I look forward to hearing back from you regarding the steps that will be taken to prevent this from happening.
**I am posting the letter written because I can not find any corporate info for Cava online & the employees would not give any info **
