First Watch Restaurants

"At First Watch restaurants, things are simple. From the classic breakfast and lunch menu items to the crux of their internal culture: 'You First.' This not only means holding open the door for customers and greeting them with a friendly 'good morning,' but it is felt in how the company treats and values each employee across the company." Earlier this month, we were humbled to be named the #1 Most Loved Workplace in America by Newsweek and Best Practice Institute. The best part? Celebrating it with our people who make "You First" a reality. Here's what some of them had to say about our culture.

We are genuinely humbled – and thrilled – to announce that First Watch has been named the #1 Most Loved Workplace® in America by Newsweek and the Best Practice Institute. This recognition is a testament to our 14,000 employees nationwide – and the “You First” culture they bring to life within our four walls and in their communities. They are the driving force behind everything we do – and they inspire us daily. Newsweek’s annual Most Loved Workplaces® list is determined by surveying more than 2.6 million employees from businesses with workforces varying in size from less than 50 to more than 10,000. The coveted list recognizes companies based on employee response around satisfaction and sentiment including the level of respect, collaboration, support, and sense of belonging they feel at work. To view the Top 20, visit https://lnkd.in/ePVwPkzN. 

Our very own Michael Valdes, Regional Vice President, South Florida Market, and Matthew Livingston, Vice President of Real Estate and Asset Management, have both been named to FSR's 40 Under 40 Rising Stars for 2024! Mike and Matthew have made significant impacts in the industry through their strong leadership, community partnership efforts and business programs. Congratulations, Mike and Matthew, on this well-deserved recognition. We appreciate all you do for First Watch, and we are proud to stand Shoulder to Shoulder with you. Read more: https://lnkd.in/euBxAtRt

This morning, we announced our results from the second quarter of 2024. Highlights include: • System-wide sales increased 10.1% • Total revenues increased 19.5% • Opened 7 new system-wide restaurants across 6 states For our full Q2 results and definitions: https://lnkd.in/eHQDDsVC #FWRG #FirstWatch #DaytimeDining #Earnings

"Do it right ... sleep at night" is a philosophy that guides our commitment to food safety. Our Quality Assurance and Food Safety (QAFS) team makes it all possible – and their dedication is felt in our more than 530 restaurants nationwide. Our QAFS team was recently recognized with Steritech's 2024 Excellence in Food Safety Award, a testament to our company's top-down commitment and systems-based, proactive approach. "First Watch is doing virtually everything right when it comes to food safety," said Doug Sutton, President at Steritech. "Their senior leaders have done a stellar job of reframing food safety assessments as both an investment and a catalyst for improvements and innovation across all levels of the organization."

First Watch President and CEO Chris Tomasso received our industry’s most coveted recognition, the 2024 Gold Plate Award, presented by the International Foodservice Manufacturers Association - IFMA. This honor is a testament to all the servers, cooks, bussers, dishwashers, managers and Home Office teams who support our network of neighborhood restaurants nationwide. Every day, these talented individuals show up to do the right thing, put our customers first and “Just Be Kind” – and we’re continuously in awe of their unparalleled commitment to hospitality. This one goes out to them. #FWRG #DaytimeDining #GoldPlateAward

This morning, we announced our results from the first quarter of 2024. Highlights include:   • Total revenue increased 14.7% • System-wide sales increased 9.4% • Net income of $7.2 million • Opened 9 new system-wide restaurants across 8 states   This is all made possible by our teams who are committed to “Making Days Brighter” across 29 states and counting.   For our full Q1 results and definitions: https://lnkd.in/eQERSZTQ   #FWRG #FirstWatch #DaytimeDining #Earnings

Life happens. Employees – and their kids and loved ones – get sick, and sometimes, care falls through. Unexpected curveballs call for last-minute preparations.   That’s why earlier this year, we began offering backup childcare and eldercare to all our employees. Chief People Officer Laura Sorensen recently spoke with Alicia Kelso at Nation's Restaurant News about this meaningful investment in building a better quality of life for our people.   #FirstWatch #YouFirst #Childcare #Eldercare

This year’s Women's Foodservice Forum (WFF) Conference was full of unforgettable experiences, authentic conversations and limitless opportunities.   Between making connections and finding inspiration, our teams also celebrated our very own Tonya Sult – Director of Operations for Greater Cincinnati – as a 2024 Change Maker. Tonya is always quick to raise her hand for any opportunity that strengthens her restaurants’ community connections and helps her teams grow.   We’re proud to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Tonya and all our leaders in creating amazing opportunities for our people! #WFFLimitless #GenderEquity #FWRG

We are who we are because of you. Thank you, Ken.