The list can go on and on about the cons of working for CAVA, but it’s best to look at their five thing they deem important and value most.
Transparency - what I saw at CAVA was the exact opposite of transparency. Instead of being transparent with Team Members about the current state of business, leadership would often gloss over the issues, present false hope and promises that things would get better. During the entire acquisition the CEO admittedly failed at keeping both CAVA and Zoe’s Team Members abreast of changes and decisions. Rash decisions were often made and telephoned down to the working teams.
Humility - I honestly can’t even believe this is a value. This company has one of the most ego driven cultures I have experienced. Regardless of what market research or data says, leadership makes decisions and pushes projects forward based on their ego and stubbornness. If they even had an inkling of humility they would find the source of what didn’t work and fix it. Instead they continually fail on new initiatives.
Fanaticism - I’ll give it to them here - they love CAVA and everything about it. Newly acquired Zoe’s Kitchen...not so much. And they are very vocal about their disdain for the Zoe’s business.
Positivity - Positivity can not thrive in a toxic work culture. The only way to get promoted here is by being manipulative and backstabbing. There is a lot of finger pointing to blame and deep rooted issues that haven’t been figured out. The work/life balance is a joke - so much so that the CEO makes it perfectly clear that it is stupid.
Thoughtfulness- In my time I didn’t find much thoughtfulness - not in the way projects were handled, not in the way leadership treats team members and definitely not in the way issues were researched. Leadership will say whatever needs to be said to look good and then turn around and do the exact opposite.
In short, what I saw was this company is a sinking ship. What keeps them going is good food, but eventually the poor leadership will catch up with them and it will not be good. It’s already being seen in the multiple rounds of layoffs.
