Supplier and Vendor Code of Conduct
This Supplier and Vendor Code of Conduct (this “Code,” as also known as this “Vendor Code of Conduct”) is incorporated by reference into CAVA Group, Inc.’s (individually or collectively with any direct or indirect subsidiaries, “CAVA”) Supplier Terms and Conditions, Master Supplier Agreement, Master Services Agreement, Terms and Conditions, Statement of Work, Order Form, or other agreement under which CAVA does business with any supplier or vendor (“Terms and Conditions”) and is part and parcel of such Terms and Conditions. You hereby acknowledge and agree that by accepting the Terms and Conditions, you are accepting the terms of this Code and agree to abide by the terms herein.
General Terms:
At CAVA, our mission is to bring heart, health, and humanity to food. To further that mission, we must hold ourselves to certain standards, and we expect our suppliers and vendors to hold themselves to these standards as well.
Below in this Code are the standards, though they are certainly not an all-inclusive list. While we also hold ourselves to these standards, in many instances, we exceed them – and we encourage you to as well.
As a supplier of any good, ingredient, or other product to CAVA or provider of any services, goods, deliverables, or other outputs, you must abide by the following requirements. We reserve the right to suspend or terminate any agreement with you and accrue no further costs should a material breach of this Code occur that is not cured within thirty (30) days of the date stated on our notice to you. At any time, we may request information from you to verify your compliance and you agree to timely comply. To ensure compliance, we or a third party we engage may also require certifications, perform audits or inspections at any time, and conduct interviews with your employees or representatives.
From the day we send this Code to you or your representative, you will have thirty (30) days to seek any clarity required. At the end of such period, your agreement to supply or provide services, goods, deliverables, or other outputs to CAVA constitutes agreement to this Code. If you object to all or any part of this Code, we cannot work with you, as this Code sets forth certain core values that we cannot negotiate, and we may terminate, or decline not to enter into, any agreement with you immediately upon receiving written notice of your objection. You are responsible for checking CAVA’s website for updates to this Code. We will publicly post any updated version of the Code, which will constitute notice to you. Your continuing to supply or provide services, goods, deliverables, or other outputs to CAVA after the date such updated terms are made available constitutes acceptance of such modified Code. All updates to the Code will be automatically incorporated in any contract with you.
Employees, Contractors, Vendors, and Other Associated Parties:
You must also ensure that your employees, contractors, vendors, consultants, suppliers, subcontractors, and agents (“Associated Parties”) are aware of and comply with these requirements and supporting standards, as well as any requirements or standards impliedly contained or referenced herein, and that all necessary systems, policies, training, and procedures are in place to enable such compliance. You shall be responsible for the Associated Parties with whom you work complying with this Code and for their acts and omissions in connection with these terms, which will be considered your acts and omissions.
Actual or Suspected Non-Compliance:
If you or any Associated Parties at any time believe any actual or suspected non-compliance with this Code is occurring, has occurred, or may occur, you must notify us immediately at [email protected]. You may not retaliate or take disciplinary action against any Associated Parties who have, in good faith, reported violations or questionable behavior or have sought advice in connection to this Code.
Business Practices:
Legal Compliance. We require you to comply with all laws, regulations, rules, ordinances, orders, judgments, and any other requirements of any national, state, federal, local or other governmental authority which may apply to you or your conduct, business, or property (“Applicable Law”).
Food Safety and Quality Assurance. Food safety and quality assurance is paramount to CAVA. To the extent that you supply us with any food or beverage products or packaging, smallware, food preparation equipment, or other products that may bear a relation to our food or beverages, you agree to meet or exceed all requirements of Applicable Law, comply with all applicable CAVA standards and specifications, and provide timely and accurate information about your products and processes.
Conflicts of Interest. Conflicts of interest and improprieties must be avoided. A conflict of interest may exist when you are involved in an activity that affects your objectivity as a decisionmaker. When an actual, potential, or perceived conflict of interest occurs, you must notify us immediately. Any of our employees who engage in secondary employment may not work for a vendor that has a contractual relationship with us. Suppliers or vendors that conduct or intend on conducting business with us and are the spouse, domestic partner, or other family member or relative of one of our employees must immediately disclose such relationship to our Chief Legal Officer ([email protected]) to seek prior approval of any transaction.
Bribery and Corruption. You shall refrain from offering, promising, or providing any gift, fees, favors, or other compensation or reimbursement of expenses to any of our employees, except if infrequent and of de minimis in value, to avoid any actual or perceived impropriety or violation of Applicable Law. It is particularly important that any such item not exceed customary courtesies given the context, including the jurisdiction. You must also refrain from engaging in corrupt activity. In addition, under no event should you offer, promise or provide, directly or indirectly, anything of value, including but not limited to money, materials, equipment, or services to any individual, including any employee, or representative of a national, state, local, or foreign government, public company, or public body (“Government Official”), in a position to make or influence any business or governmental decision affecting our business, obtain or retain business, or secure an improper business advantage. If you conduct business outside of the United States, you must comply with Applicable Law in the countries in which you do business, including, but not limited to, the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (the “FCPA”). You must conduct business in a way that does not improperly interfere with local jurisdictions, violate the law in those jurisdictions or infringe on local cultures and traditions.
Financial Fraud. You must not engage in any financial fraud. This includes making false or misleading accounting entries, entering into unauthorized side agreements, or forging documentation, among other actions. This also includes violations of federal laws regarding mail, wire, or bank fraud. In addition, you must keep and maintain complete, accurate, and reasonably detailed books and records in connection with the services performed under this Code, including all interactions with a government entity or Government Official related to this Code.
Ethical Business Practices, Continuous Improvement, and Transparency. You must demonstrate ethical business practices and a commitment to continuous improvement. This may mean the identification and implementation of efforts to improve your integrity as a business and the undertaking of risk mitigation efforts. You must be transparent to us with respect to your operations, policies, procedures, and practices and cooperate to provide information to CAVA from time to time when in furtherance of the letter or spirit of this Code.
Business Record Retention. You must retain all financial and transactional records related to business with us in accordance with Applicable Laws and any internal document retention policy. These records must be made available to us or an auditor in accordance with Applicable Laws and contract terms.
Human Rights, Discrimination, and Working Conditions. You must maintain a workplace where all employees are treated with dignity and respect. We require you to prohibit discrimination of any kind on the basis of sex, race, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical disability, mental disability, age, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic based on Applicable Law in your workplaces. You must also prohibit harassment and retaliation of any kind. Procedures and practices must be in place to ensure that safe working practices are followed and all employees receive proper training.
Forced Labor and Human Trafficking. You must not use any physical or mental coercion, threats, or deception to cause work to be done for you. This includes any activity to require workers to surrender identity documents, passports, or work permits except for any limited purposes provided under Applicable Law. Your workers must be free to surrender employment with you. Slave labor, bonded labor, indentured labor, and prison labor are strictly prohibited.
Child Labor. You must not use child labor to perform any work, as determined by Applicable Law. For any minors that work for you, you must be supportive of their efforts to attend school and their emotional and physical health, safety, and moral development.
Migrant Labor. You must follow all Applicable Laws when hiring migrant workers. You must also ensure that no migrant workers are exploited. Any recruitment of any migrant worker should not require any such migrant worker to pay a fee. Migrant workers must be able to voluntarily terminate contracts without penalty upon reasonable or legally applicable notice.
Environmental Practices and Animal Welfare. You must comply with Applicable Laws with respect to environment protection, sustainability, and animal welfare. You must also abide by certain environmental practices and use good faith efforts to track your environmental performance in order to be able to make improvements over time. You must prevent any cruelty to animals and abide by or exceed prevailing industry practices with respect to animal welfare.You are required to provide information regarding your environmental and animal welfare efforts from time to time upon our request.
Confidentiality. All information and materials labeled as confidential, or that would reasonably be considered our confidential information, including all non-public information, regardless of whether it is written, spoken, electronic, transmitted, or stored in any form provided to or obtained by or through your business relationship with us (“Confidential Information”), must be treated as confidential. Suppliers and vendors should not use Confidential Information for any purpose other than for purposes of serving our business and should not disclose it except to the extent permitted pursuant to the terms of a signed agreement with us. In addition, adequate safeguards must be used to prevent the disclosure of Confidential Information. Except to the extent permitted pursuant to the terms of a signed agreement with us, the obligation to protect our Confidential Information continues after involvement with us ends. To avoid inadvertent disclosure, Confidential Information should never be discussed with any unauthorized person, including, but not limited to, our unauthorized employees or family members, relatives, or friends.
Information Privacy & Security. You shall be responsible for all of your actions, whether through yourself or any Associated Parties, relating to our systems, including, but not limited to, use of log-on identification names, passwords, or other authentication methods. You represent and warrant that you have implemented and maintain a comprehensive written information security program that contains industry standard technical, physical and administrative safeguards to ensure the security and confidentiality of Confidential Information, including the handling, protection, disposal, and other processing of data, and protect against unauthorized access to or use thereof, and upon our request, you shall provide information or documentation evidencing such program to us. You are expected to respect and protect the information privacy of individuals whose personal information is entrusted to you, directly or indirectly and comply with all Applicable Laws pertaining to data security and privacy. You may only use, retain, and disclose entrusted information for the purpose of conducting business with us or as otherwise permitted by us.
Last Updated: June 24, 2025