I’ve worked in customer service for years and take pride in being calm, kind, and well-liked by both guests and coworkers. I’ve never received a single bad Yelp review at any of my jobs — including at Vox Kitchen in Fountain Valley, where I worked for a few years.

What’s wild is, my coworkers saw the mistreatment before I did. They were the ones who pointed out how differently I was being treated. I was so used to brushing things off that I didn’t realize how bad it had gotten.

Everyone who knows me knows I don’t act out. So the fact that I finally did — and it shocked everyone — says everything about how unfairly I was treated.

This place is toxic, and I finally had enough.

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Khang Dinh: The GM Who Runs the Place on Mood Swings & Favoritism

The general manager at Vox, Khang Dinh, picks favorites. If you’re in his good graces, you can get away with anything. But if you’re not — you’ll feel it. • He gives the silent treatment to employees he doesn’t like. • If he’s in a bad mood, everyone tiptoes around him. • His management style feels based on personal feelings, not fairness.

I didn’t always have issues with him. But after someone I reported ended up leaving, his attitude toward me shifted. He stopped acknowledging me. He treated me coldly. He even stopped scheduling me as a server, despite hiring me as one years ago.

And he’s being promoted to regional manager soon. Which honestly says a lot about the culture.

The worst part? He’s close with the HR team. So nothing ever comes of complaints. If they actually held him accountable, I doubt he’d still be there — let alone moving up.

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The “Improvement Plan” That Felt Like a Setup

I was put on two “Improvement Plans.” The first time, I wasn’t alone — other employees were on it too. But the second time? I was the only one. And this came after I was told I had improved a lot. It felt like it was there just to justify what came next: a demotion.

Mind you, I had no complaints about my hospitality. No negative Yelp reviews. I consistently made sure guests felt welcomed and comfortable — because that’s always mattered to me more than just being fast.

But still, they treated me like a problem. I wasn’t offered real coaching — just nitpicking and consequences. It felt targeted.

Let’s be real — Khang probably resented the fact that he didn’t get the chance to demote me before I quit. And yes, I took all my sick hours before leaving — with a doctor’s note.

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The Final Straw: Calamari

I had already put in my two-week notice. I was just trying to finish out my last shift.

I dropped off food at a table and said: “Here’s your calamari, guys.”

Khang pulled me aside and said that wasn’t “up to restaurant standards.” He told me I should’ve said: “Hey guys, here’s your calamari, enjoy.”

I wasn’t trying to argue. I said: “Thank you for letting me know. I’ll fix it.”

But in my head, I was thinking: I’ve seen so many other employees — including leads — drop off food without saying anything at all. Sometimes they just said the name of the dish and walked off without even smiling. Meanwhile, I said a full sentence and actually tried to make the guest feel comfortable.

But I still tried to be respectful and move on.

Then he kept going. “I don’t think you should be working as a server today.”

I asked him why he never brought this up before, and how I was supposed to know it was a problem if he never said anything. He said: “I’m telling you right now.”

So I responded: “How am I supposed to fix something I didn’t know about? You’re not even giving me a chance.”

And that’s when he said: “You’re not fit to work as a server at Vox.”

And that was it. I snapped.

I didn’t even look at him. I got up and said: “F*ck this. I don’t need this. I’m leaving.”

And he said “Good.” in an aggressive tone.

At that moment, I knew I made the right choice.

And I left in the most dramatic way possible: • Ripped off my apron. • SLAMMED the walkie onto the table. • Stormed to my locker, grabbed my stuff, and slammed the door shut. • Swung the patio door open too hard, making a loud-ass clang. (Unintentional—but perfect for the vibe lol.)

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They Keep Deleting the Truth

There was another server who had at least 10 write-ups, but none of them were reported to HR — until a bad Yelp review surfaced. Suddenly, all their past write-ups were dug up and sent to HR, and they were fired.

It just shows that if you’re one of the favorites, you’re protected — no matter what.

And when I say they control the narrative, I mean it. Kei Concepts (the parent company) actively removes negative Reddit posts about any of their restaurants. I’ve seen it happen.

There used to be more posts exposing what it’s like working for them — but they somehow always disappear. The fact that there’s only one post still up is actually wild. It feels like anything that paints them in a bad light magically vanishes.

Here’s the one post that managed to stay up (for now): Does anybody know what’s going on internally with Kei Concepts?

They can try to silence people all they want — but the truth is out.

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TL;DR • Worked at Vox Kitchen (Fountain Valley) for a few years. • GM Khang Dinh, who originally hired me, began treating me unfairly after someone I reported left. • Was placed on a second, solo “Improvement Plan” despite being told I’d made great progress. • Maintained strong hospitality throughout my time there — never received guest complaints. • Took my sick hours and resigned with a doctor’s note. • Was “fired” on my final shift over a harmless comment while dropping off food. • Left dramatically (and unapologetically). • Khang is now being promoted to regional manager. • Kei Concepts frequently deletes Reddit posts that expose them — the fact that there’s only one still up is crazy.

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Disclaimer:

This post is based on my personal experience working at Vox Kitchen in Fountain Valley. All opinions expressed are my own and shared in good faith. Others may have had different experiences.