Is First Watch a good company to work for?

First Watch has an overall rating of 3.7 out of 5, based on over 1,926 reviews left anonymously by employees. This rating has decreased by 3% over the last 12 months. 63% of employees would recommend working at First Watch to a friend and 61% have a positive outlook for the business. The best reviews about First Watch have been left by employees working as Director of Operations , Black Apron and Cafe Manager .

Does First Watch pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, First Watch employees rate their compensation and benefits as 3.2 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at First Watch. This rating has decreased by 6% over the last 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at First Watch?

63% of First Watch employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated First Watch 3.7 out of 5 for work life balance, 3.5 for culture and values and 3.4 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at First Watch?

Server (632) , Server/Waiter (294) , Operations Manager (124) , General Manager (70) , Line Cook (65) , Busser/Runner (46) , Server/Waitress (36) , Manager (34) , Director of Operations (30) , Dishwasher (27) , Cook (26) , Waitress (21) , Food Server (18) , Black Apron (16) , Busser (15)

What are the pros of working at First Watch according to real employee reviews?

"Money is Good and consistent." ((in 182 reviews)); "The pay is good and there's a program that pays for 20% of your college tuition." ((in 92 reviews)); "great food and people to work with were awesome" ((in 64 reviews)); "I loved my coworkers and the hours are great!" ((in 59 reviews)); "Great product and a culture I can be proud to represent." ((in 53 reviews))

What are the cons of working at First Watch according to real employee reviews?

"poor management and had managers try to make job difficult" ((in 141 reviews)); "Managers have a lot of responsibility and spend most of their time in the kitchen rather than being up front dealing with customers." ((in 74 reviews)); "long hours (serving shift is open to close because it is breakfast/lunch only)" ((in 40 reviews)); "Upper management is so completely out of touch it's almost as if they have never worked in a restaurant (spoiler: most of them haven't)" ((in 28 reviews)); "Lots of cliques and Favoritism." ((in 25 reviews))

What are the top reviewed First Watch locations?

Tampa , Orlando , Sarasota , Jacksonville , Raleigh , Louisville , Columbus , Houston , Cincinnati , Kansas City , Phoenix , Charlotte , Dallas , San Antonio , Atlanta , Saint Louis , Austin , Knoxville , Bradenton , Lexington-Fayette , Scottsdale , Naples , Tucson , College Station , Miami , Richmond , Fort Worth , Katy , Nashville , Overland Park

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First Watch reviews

This isn’t for everyone - Manager First Watch Employee Review

2.0

Oct 28, 2025

Manager

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

- Off between 3:45pm-5pm - Servers make excellent money - Free meal for managers - Some areas/districts are managed well and there’s room for growth - Employee Discount Programs - Employee referral bonuses

Cons

- Unprofessional. There’s no standard. Each GM does whatever they like - Uniform. We wear black or grey tops with dark denim. Some GMs will tell you to wear what they want you to wear. Also you get lost in the crowd and blend in with servers - No weekends off. Weekends are our peek days so you work 10-12 hours every Saturday & Sunday. You can request off for something important. But it’s considered mandatory - Buddy system. Employees who are friends with upper management get preferential treatment. - No real HR. They have an employee hotline but the people aren’t from here so reporting is difficult. If you reach out to HR they tell everyone in your area and you’re basically black balled - Not many GM who look like me -All managers must be in by 6am. Not really necessary because there’s 2-3 managers most shifts. Waking up between 4am-5am and getting home between 4pm-6pm causes burn out. Shifts should be staggered

First Watch Response

8mo

Thank you for taking the time to share this review. We’re firm believers that when you know better, you do better…so we really appreciate your feedback. We're so disappointed to learn about your experience as we strive to be “You First” in all that we do. Quality of life is important to us, and you should always feel comfortable discussing your concerns with your leaders and with our team in HR. We'd love to better understand your concerns so that we can thoroughly and properly address them and encourage you to reach out through First Watch feedback at https://firstwatch.com/contact Thanks again for your insights.

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5.0

Jul 5, 2026

Marketing manager

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Great Place with Great People

Cons

None really. Everyone was nice to work with and respectable

First Watch Response

Thanks for your 5-Star review. We’re so happy you chose First Watch as your employer and enjoy the environment and people you work with! Thanks again for the review – we appreciate you.

3.0

Jun 5, 2026

Server/hostess

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

The store is only open until 2:30 so you’re guaranteed your nights off. The menu is fairly easy to learn and the seasonal menu doesn’t change that often.

Cons

Could be my stores location, but we are constantly fighting for hours and tables. There’s not enough income for all here. And when it’s brought up to management they say it’s our “slow season” but turn around and hired three more servers. Also the meanest clientele that I have ever worked with. Very demanding with little patience, and either bad tips ($2-$4) or no tips at all. Especially on large parties. I have spoke to many employees who have worked 3+ years for the company and many of them want to leave. Too often those that don’t do their work are rewarded and it’s put on the shoulders of those that do.

First Watch Response

1mo

We appreciate your feedback here. While we're glad you enjoy the daytime-only hours, it's helpful to understand your concerns too. If you wouldn't mind calling our anonymous employee hotline at 844-484-8963, we'd love to follow up and better understand and address your concerns where possible. Any feedback helps us, and we're grateful for yours.

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This isn’t for everyone - Manager First Watch Employee Review

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