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'Part of the community': Cava gives workers paid time off to vote

Cava says they're one of the first restaurant chains to do so.

On Monday, fast-casual Mediterranean chain Cava announced a new policy: Two hours of paid leave will be given to their 1,600 hourly employees so they may vote on election day.

Cava says they’re one of the first restaurant chains to do so. D.C. is one of the chain's markets, alongside Maryland, Virginia, New York, Texas and others.

As a first-generation American, co-founder Ted Xenohristros said voting for the first time was a big deal for him. He was proud.

But, after growing up watching his immigrant parents, particularly his mother who was a waitress, struggle to find the time to vote between their jobs and childcare, he pledged to change that.

And so, Xenohristros, Ike Grigoropoulos, and Executive Chef Dimitri Moshovitis, founders of the fast-casual Mediterranean chain Cava, announced the new policy via email on Monday.

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“As three first-generation Americans, we believe it is not only our right but also our duty to vote in all elections, from local to midterms to presidential,” the company wrote in their statement.

Xenohristos said he grew up around restaurants and knew firsthand the challenges faced by restaurant workers in finding the time to do things outside of the work. His mother, who immigrated from Greece along with his father, often took him along for shifts.

After seeing the way restaurant staff were treated, Xenohristros said Monday night that at Cava the founders implement policies that promote “respect, inclusion, and dignity."

“Cava is a slice of the American Dream,” he said of founding the chain alongside other first-generation Americans.

As midterms approach, more and more companies are giving their employees time off to vote. Bloomberg reported that 44% of companies are giving their employees paid time off to vote.

For Cava, Xenohristos said the policy is non-partisan and designed to give employees, some of whom may be voting for the first time, the chance to be “part of the community.”

He said they worked with Vote.org to give their employees resources on how to register and vote in their states. Vote.org is non-profit that provides information on voting for U.S. citizens.

Cava hopes to help lead the way for other organizations to provide the same benefits to their employees. Xenohristros said that employees are excited, although he doesn’t expect every team member to take advantage of it.

“We just want them to be active members in society,” he said.

The midterm elections will be on November 6. Early voting began Monday in D.C.

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