Very Uncomfortable Experience at Farmer Bros in Lancaster, CA…read more
I'm extremely disappointed with the experience my children and I had at the Farmer Bros in Lancaster, California. I'm African-American, and my daughter is only five years old. She is a very friendly, sweet child who loves talking to people and showing them her little toys.
During our visit, my daughter tried to interact with one of the cashiers, a woman who had blonde streaks in her hair and clear glasses. My daughter was showing her a squishy toy and trying to talk to her, but the cashier continued staring at my daughter without responding or acknowledging her. My daughter eventually walked away. As her mother, it was heartbreaking and uncomfortable to watch, especially because my daughter had done absolutely nothing wrong.
One of the other cashiers was named Gabriella. She had burgundy-colored hair. I did not get the name of the cashier with the glasses, although I believe her name on her badge may have been Jasmine.
After I received my food, I went to my car with my children. There was a coupon in my bag for two cheeseburgers, so because my children wanted them, I went back inside to place another order. At that point, Gabriella and the cashier with the blonde streaks and clear glasses began whispering to each other. Gabriella looked directly at me, and when I looked back at them, they turned around. I cannot say exactly what they were saying, but the situation made me feel extremely uncomfortable and gave me the impression that I was being talked about.
Whether that was their intention or not, customer service is about making customers feel welcomed and respected, not uncomfortable or unwelcome. The entire experience left me and my children feeling very uneasy.
It is especially sad to me that in 2026, people can still walk into a business and feel like they are being treated differently because of the color of their skin. I am not saying that I know exactly what was in these employees' hearts or what they were saying, but the way the situation unfolded made me question whether my family was being treated differently because we are African-American.
I strongly encourage management to address this situation and provide additional training on professionalism, customer service, and appropriate workplace behavior around customers. Whispering and looking at customers in a way that makes them feel targeted or uncomfortable is not appropriate.
My daughter is five years old. She should be able to walk into a business, smile, talk to someone, and show them her little toy without feeling ignored or unwelcome.
Unfortunately, this experience has made me reconsider returning to this location. I hope management takes this review seriously and uses it as an opportunity to make sure every customer and every child who walks through those doors feels respected, welcomed, and treated equally.
