A woman is going viral on TikTok after sharing a Cava worker’s slightly nosy reaction to her ordering a kid’s meal.
Nomi (@imoniceline) said she recently went to Cava intending to get a Kids Pita meal—which, according to the chain’s website, is a smaller version of its build-your-own pita and comes with a side of pita chips or carrot sticks.
But since Nomi is clearly not a kid, the worker apparently had questions. Her post detailing the interaction, which had racked up more than 345,700 views as of Friday, sparked a flood of comments from users annoyed by workers they say take their jobs a little too seriously.
Cava worker questions woman’s age
Nomi said placing her order wasn’t as straightforward as she expected. When she asked for the kid’s pita, the worker replied, “How old are you?”
Thinking fast, Nomi said the meal was for her son. But the video quickly cuts to her eating it herself—so viewers know that wasn’t exactly true.
“Like girl give me my [expletive],” Nomi wrote in the caption of her clip.
Who can order a kids’ meal?
Cava doesn’t explicitly state an age restriction for its kids’ menu, but it’s generally understood to be for children under 12. While some restaurants don’t mind if adults order kids’ meals, Cava’s policy isn’t clearly defined.
But the logic behind kids’ menus usually comes down to business: They’re often loss leaders, designed to bring in families while adults spend more on full-size entrees.
Still, plenty of adults love ordering kids’ meals—and not just to save money. Smaller portions, lower prices, or even just nostalgia (sometimes you just want a grilled cheese) are all reasons adults opt for the kids’ side of the menu.
In fact, this isn’t a new trend. Earlier this year, a TikToker went viral for ordering kids’ meals as a way to save on groceries. Others have shared their favorite “kids’ menu hacks,” with creators showing how they piece together meals for less.
That said, not everyone’s on board. Some restaurants outright ban adults from ordering kids’ meals, and servers have been known to vent about it online.
One server griped in 2023 about a customer who tried to get a full adult portion for a kids’ price.
Another, posting in r/TalesFromYourServer, put it bluntly, “You can get your meal to go, request an extra plate and share, in some cases request a half order, or just not eat the whole serving. But please do not insist you should be entitled to take advantage of something you are not being offered for a good reason.”
@imoniceline Like girl give me my 💩
♬ original sound – Nomi
Viewers slam worker’s nosiness
Commenters largely sided with Nomi, questioning why the Cava employee cared so much about who was ordering a kids’ meal.
“I hate when ppl take their job too serious,” one woman said.
“That’s a crazy question bc does she expect kids to walk in and other for themselves?” another questioned.
“Why was that even her business to begin with,” a third commenter asked. “Do y’all want the money or no.”
Others chimed in to say they’ve also been hit with age checks when trying to order off the kids’ menu.
“Somebody tried me like that one time and gone say they playing,” one viewer shared. “BABYYY GIVE ME MY KIDS MEAL!”
“That happened to me,” another said, adding that they lied and told the worker who questioned them that they were “on a calorie deficit.”
And others simply pointed out the perks of kids’ meals: smaller portions and a smaller price tag.
“That lemonade hits even better when the whole meal cost $8,” one TikToker quipped.
“God forbid we doing portion control,” another wrote.
“Some people don’t like eating a lot of food,” a third commenter said.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Nomi via TikTok comment and to Cava through email.
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