First Watch reviews

3.7

63% would recommend to a friend

(1,898 total reviews)
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Chris Tomasso

69% approve of CEO

61% positive business outlook

First Watch has an employee rating of 3.7 out of 5 stars, based on 1,898 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The First Watch employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Restaurants & Food Service industry (3.4 stars).

Reviews by job title

2K reviews
3.0
May 8, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Easy serving, POS system is solid. Customers love the food and the menu is easy to learn. Host checks out customers, which saves you from running cards as a server. Good drink options to upsell.

Cons

Really intense server test, which includes memorization on “10 Commitments” that the company made up. You cannot earn tips until you pass this test. Small section, 3 2-top tables most of the time. Kitchen staff was constantly changing, with new training causing the kitchen to always fall behind. A/C was broken for an entire summer and had to walk through water puddles for a month from broken piping in the dish area. Lots of side work, and had many shifts were we rolled silverware for hours. We were even required to roll 100 rolls each on weekdays. One support shift(minimum wage with no tips), hosting, to-gos, and beverage is required per week, even when working 2 shifts in one week. Customers could pay with a QR code on the receipt, which would not work at times, so we would lose out on tips and not be compensated for our service at all. This happened on checks that were $100+ while I was there. Overtime was not allowed, so you were not able to work more than 5 shifts per week. Strict dress code, we were threatened to be fired if we did not buy the “correct shade of dark blue jeans.” Many servers struggled finding a pair that fit the standards and were comfortable, and spent hundreds of their own money to find them. A belt was also required, servers would be sent home if they forgot a belt.

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First Watch Response
1mo
Thank you for sharing your feedback. While we're glad you had a good experience with customers, it's helpful to understand your concerns too. Every day, we strive to show appreciation for our teams and listen to their concerns. Would you mind providing us with more information by calling our anonymous employee hotline at 844-484-8963? Thanks again, and we hope to hear from you soon.
4.0
May 7, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

I have worked at multiple locations, and each was drastically different. but overall, a positive and supportive work environment,

Cons

They claim to promote internal growth, yet a new location had a full staff of new hire managers. There is so much internal talent to choose from, yet they hire externally so easily,

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First Watch Response
1mo
Thank you for taking the time to share this feedback. We love that you had a supportive and positive environment. Feel free to call our anonymous employee hotline at 844-484-8963 to share more information. Thanks again for your feedback – it helps us improve the experience of our employees. We appreciate you!
Viewing 25 - 27 of 1,898 Reviews

Glassdoor has 1,926 First Watch reviews submitted anonymously by First Watch employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if First Watch is right for you.