First Watch reviews

3.6

59% would recommend to a friend

(1,884 total reviews)
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Chris Tomasso

68% approve of CEO

59% positive business outlook

First Watch has an employee rating of 3.6 out of 5 stars, based on 1,884 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
5.0
Nov 12, 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

-Early mornings so I have more time to spend with my family. -Work life balance is great. - Opportunities to advance within the restaraunt.

Cons

- Health benefits aren’t the greatest. Other than that nothing negative.

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First Watch Response
6mo
Thank you so much for the 5 stars! We are so happy to know that you appreciate the hours, work-life balance, and the ability to advance. Feedback like yours is important and helps us understand how we can best support employees! Thank you for taking the time to write this. Don't forget WE APPRECIATE YOU!
2.0
Aug 16, 2018
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Day time job it’s hard to find that in this industry

Cons

Low salary, long hours I average 12-16 hours a day because although I’m the GM first watch still requires me to be an hourly employee in a position for 10 hours before I can start any of my GM duties. And the benefits are the worst I’ve seen in this industry

1.0
Aug 25, 2014

Cranial Rectosis

Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The pros? Pretty much just the schedule, and then only parts of it. Some managers come in as early as 4:30am, most are in by 5:30 or 6. You are however usually done by 5pm (though some RVPs find ways to keep you later. )

Cons

The RVPs are complete hypocrites. The usual contradictory direction from upper management is taken to a whole new level here. The "open door" policy is a complete sham. Your salary looks fine until you break it down to an hourly wage (most of the cooks do better.) The turn over among managers is higher than anywhere I've seen in my 15 years in the industry.

Viewing 1 - 3 of 1,884 Reviews

Glassdoor has 1,912 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.