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First Watch history
First Watch company history timeline
The name First Watch is a nautical reference to the first work shift aboard a ship as First Watch restaurants are only open from 7:00 AM to 2:30 PM. The first location was opened in Pacific Grove, California in 1983 by Ken Pendery and John Sullivan.
Catterton's stake was acquired in 2004 with a $35 million investment that allowed First Watch to expand in the Southeast and Midwest, doubling the number of First Watch restaurants.
Advent International bought First Watch from Freeman Spogli & Co, which obtained First Watch in 2011.
In 2012 First Watch ranked as the best breakfast chain in a survey of 150,000 Consumer Reports readers earning top ratings in taste, service, value, and menu choices.
In 2014, First Watch bought The Good Egg, which is located in Arizona.
In 2017 private equity firm Advent International bought a majority stake in First Watch.
In 2018, First Watch began to source its coffee from Huila, Colombia to “support hard-working women and their families in Huila in 2018.” Royal Cup Coffee, an Alabama-based coffee company, roasts the coffee.
In October 2021, First Watch went public with an initial public offering raising $170 million on Nasdaq.
As of 2021, 18 of The Good Egg restaurants have been converted into First Watch restaurants.
© 2022 First Watch Restaurants, Inc.
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First Watch competitors
| Company name | Founded date | Revenue | Employee size | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas Roadhouse | 1993 | $5.4B | 64,900 | 3,730 |
| Shoney's | 1947 | $760,000 | 2,500 | 2 |
| TGI Fridays | 1965 | $630,000 | 5,000 | 2 |
| Hooters | 1983 | $1.2B | 25,000 | 348 |
| Max & Erma's | 1972 | $130.0M | 1,715 | - |
| The Melting Pot | 1975 | $180.0M | 3,000 | 115 |
| Dunkin Brands | 2018 | $1.4B | 270,000 | 6,625 |
| The Sagamore Resort | - | $1.6M | 500 | 14 |
| Legal Sea Foods | 1950 | $300.0M | 4,000 | 23 |
| North Italia | 2011 | $8.8M | 750 | 609 |
First Watch history FAQs
Zippia gives an in-depth look into the details of First Watch, including salaries, political affiliations, employee data, and more, in order to inform job seekers about First Watch. The employee data is based on information from people who have self-reported their past or current employments at First Watch. The data on this page is also based on data sources collected from public and open data sources on the Internet and other locations, as well as proprietary data we licensed from other companies. Sources of data may include, but are not limited to, the BLS, company filings, estimates based on those filings, H1B filings, and other public and private datasets. While we have made attempts to ensure that the information displayed are correct, Zippia is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from the use of this information. None of the information on this page has been provided or approved by First Watch. The data presented on this page does not represent the view of First Watch and its employees or that of Zippia.
First Watch may also be known as or be related to First Watch and First Watch Restaurants Inc.