Is First Watch a good company to work for as a Server/Waitress?

Server/Waitress professionals working at First Watch have rated their employer with 4.0 out of 5 stars in 38 Glassdoor reviews. This is a higher than average score with the overall rating of First Watch employees being 3.7 out of 5 stars. Search open Server/Waitress Jobs at First Watch now and start preparing for your job interview by browsing frequently asked Server/Waitress interview questions at First Watch .

Does First Watch pay Server/Waitress employees well?

Server/Waitress professionals rate their compensation and benefits at First Watch with 3.3 out of 5 stars based on 38 anonymously submitted employee reviews. This is 3.1% better than the company average rating for salary and benefits. Find out more about Server/Waitress salaries at First Watch.

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 96 reviews)); "great food and people to work with were awesome" ((in 64 reviews)); "I loved my coworkers and the hours are great!" ((in 56 reviews)); "Great product and a culture I can be proud to represent." ((in 56 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 139 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 39 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 26 reviews)); "Also lots of favoritism" ((in 24 reviews))

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First Watch

First Watch Server/Waitress reviews

4.0

69% would recommend to a friend

(38 total reviews)

Chris Tomasso

73% approve of CEO

25% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

4.4

Work/Life balance

3.8

Diversity & inclusion

3.7

Senior management

3.5

Culture & values

3.5

Career opportunities

3.3

Compensation and benefits

Server/Waitress employees have rated First Watch with 4.0 out of 5 stars, based on 38 company reviews on Glassdoor. This indicates that most Server/Waitress professionals have a good working experience there. First Watch is rated in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) by Server/Waitress professionals compared to other employers within the Restaurants & Food Service industry (3.4 stars).

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Reviews by job title

38 reviews

4.0

Jul 13, 2026

Great management and teamwork, but kitchen chaos persists

Server/waitress

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Management is very good. Our district manager is great and very approachable. I love my co workers & the teamwork is phenomenal. I love the family like work culture First Watch has. So many different personalities and ages but it works. Low turnover in FOH. Our customers are great too!

Cons

The discontinuation of benefits for employees who work less than 30 hours a week. Some kitchen employees aren’t the best fit.

2.0

Jun 27, 2026

Good hours but too much extra work

Server/waitress

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Early hours . You can get your money & still have time for other things in a day.

Cons

Alot of doing other's work & your assigned duties.

First Watch Response

Thank you for sharing your feedback. While we're happy you enjoyed the daytime-only hours and pay, If you’d like to provide further feedback pleaser call our anonymous employee hotline at 844-484-8963. Thanks again for sharing.

5.0

Jan 28, 2026

Fun!

Server/waitress

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

>Flexible Schedule >Great part time >Manager is amazing, love you James >Great work life balance

Cons

>Inconsistent moolas >Vibe depends which location you work at

First Watch Response

5mo

Thank you so much for the 5 stars! We are thrilled that you have enjoyed your experience at First Watch and appreciated the schedule, your manager, and the work-life balance. We’re always working to improve the employee experience, and your feedback helps us do that. We appreciate your dedication and hard work, and we love you more than bacon!

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First Watch Server/Waitress reviews

Ratings by category

Ratings by demographic groups

Reviews by job title

Great management and teamwork, but kitchen chaos persists

Good hours but too much extra work

Fun!

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