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

Server/Waiter professionals working at First Watch have rated their employer with 3.5 out of 5 stars in 292 Glassdoor reviews. This is a lower than average score with the overall rating of First Watch employees being 3.7 out of 5 stars. Search open Server/Waiter Jobs at First Watch now and start preparing for your job interview by browsing frequently asked Server/Waiter interview questions at First Watch .

Does First Watch pay Server/Waiter employees well?

Server/Waiter professionals rate their compensation and benefits at First Watch with 2.9 out of 5 stars based on 292 anonymously submitted employee reviews. This is 9.8% worse than the company average rating for salary and benefits. Find out more about Server/Waiter salaries at First Watch.

How happy are Server/Waiter professionals working at First Watch?

52% of Server/Waiter employees at First Watch would recommend their employer to a friend. This rating has decreased by 23% in the past 12 months. Server/Waiter professionals have also rated First Watch with a 3.4 rating for work-life-balance, 3.5 rating for diversity and inclusion, 3.1 rating for culture and values and 2.9 rating 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))

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First Watch

First Watch Server/Waiter reviews

3.5

52% would recommend to a friend

(292 total reviews)

Chris Tomasso

49% approve of CEO

54% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

3.5

Diversity & inclusion

3.4

Work/Life balance

3.1

Culture & values

2.9

Compensation and benefits

2.9

Career opportunities

2.7

Senior management

Server/Waiter employees have rated First Watch with 3.5 out of 5 stars, based on 292 company reviews on Glassdoor. This indicates that most Server/Waiter professionals have a good working experience there. First Watch is rated in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) by Server/Waiter 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

292 reviews

1.0

Dec 20, 2025

They’ll steal from you every angle

Server/waiter

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Early out times. No nights.

Cons

Criminals. They’ll push you aside and gaslight as they break multiple federal and state laws.

First Watch Response

7mo

Thank you for taking the time to share this feedback. We are so disappointed to hear about your experience. We’re firm believers that when you know better, you do better…so we really appreciate your feedback. Would you mind providing us with more information by calling our anonymous employee hotline at 844-484-8963?

5.0

Nov 23, 2025

Awesome

Server/waiter

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

awesome environment, awesome people, awesome money

Cons

Nothing bad to say. Good place

First Watch Response

7mo

Thank you for taking the time to share your positive experience and the 5-star review! We love hearing that you enjoyed the environment, people, and pay! It sounds like you’re a hard-working team player, and for that, we thank you!

4.0

Nov 6, 2025

great place

Server/waiter

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Great environment, frequently busy, great hours

Cons

Money isn’t consistent due to some days being slower than others.

First Watch Response

8mo

Thanks for sharing your insights and positive experience working at First Watch – we love hearing that you enjoy the environment and the great daytime-only hours. This kind of feedback helps us improve the experience for our employees and customers. Thanks again!

Viewing 10 - 12 of 292 Reviews

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They’ll steal from you every angle

Awesome

great place

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