Today I was very disappointed after many years of considering Bodo’s to be one of my all-time-favorites. TLDR: my request for an accommodation was met but with annoyance and disinterest in the topic of accessibility.

I’m a UVA alumni, class of ‘17, who, like many, ate Bodo’s several times a week while I was a student, sometimes more than once in a day. I’ve always recommended Bodo’s to friends visiting Cville and would go on about how many of those damn bagels I’ve eaten in my lifetime as well as the exceptional prices that I found to make Bodo’s such an accessible place.

I’m in town for just a couple nights, and after seeing that the Preston Ave. location no longer had a drive-thru and was crowded inside, I called the Emmitt St. location (thinking they’d be the least busy, not sure if that’s accurate) to ask if any of their stores still offered drive-thru or if there were any outdoor window/curbside options these days - the reason being that I’m not comfortable standing in a crowded indoor space. When I was told they did not have anything like that, the manager was kind to offer curbside service for me. However, when he brought out my order, he made a point of letting me know that this had been an inconvenience for him. I believe his words were, “We don’t normally do this. It would have been easier if you called us at an off-time.”

So I offered some direct feedback, asking if they’d considered doing curbside or using their old drive-thru as an outdoor pickup window, while letting the manager know that I love Bodo’s and think it would be great to see it become more accessible for folks with disabilities, for example. The manager quickly turned around to go back inside, not at all willing to engage with my feedback. I totally get that their logistics must be wild, and they keep their prices down with the volume they put out, but I would also expect some more openness or at least politeness in response to the idea of increasing accessibility, especially as such a long-standing and beloved business in Cville. I appreciated the one-time favor from the manager, but won’t be asking again.

As a community-based social worker who continues to take Covid precautions seriously primarily in the interest of my more vulnerable loved ones and clients, I was disheartened by this interaction. I like to support businesses that respect and value their employees, customers, and community.

Now that I’ve tasted many more bagels outside of Cville, and continue to consider a good bagel sandwich be one of my favorite foods, I’m bummed but perfectly resolved to say that’ll be my last cheap-but-mediocre one at Bodo’s.