First Watch

First Watch Café is open daily except for Thanksgiving and Christmas. A “first watch” is a nautical term for the first shift of the day, and since they only serve breakfast, brunch, and lunch, that’s where they got the name for the restaurant. They don’t offer catering, but the website invites you to ask the general manager of your location about those needs if you have them. First Watch doesn’t allow you to make reservations in a traditional sense, but most places will let you check wait times get on the waitlist before you arrive through the First Watch App.

I thoroughly enjoyed my experience in their Kennesaw location. The parking lot was almost full when I arrived, so I was wary of how long the wait would be, but I was seated within 15 minutes. My waitress was there immediately to ask what I wanted to drink. All of the staff that I could see had masks on, and when the customers weren’t eating, they wore theirs as well. The fact that they enforce masks was a point in their favor in my book! Mostly since their customers wore them. I’ve been in restaurants packed in like sardines without a cover in sight. The décor was modern rustic, and the tables were spaced a reasonable distance apart. I don’t know if it was always like that, or if they rearranged after Covid, but it was appreciated.  The flooring is a vinyl plank product from Karndean. According to their website, it’s custom-made for their cafés only and isn’t available for retail.

The menu was vegetarian friendly with vegan and gluten free options. I always check for gluten free options when I’m at a restaurant, out of habit, because my sister is allergic. I like that First Watch made their menu with their customers’ needs in mind. I ordered the Eggs Benedict, which had two poached cage-free eggs atop toasted ciabatta with smoked ham, and a side of seasoned potatoes. My waitress gave me a little cup of salt and pepper packets, which I used for the Eggs Benedict. Cutting into it caused the yolk to run and soak the bread. I’ve always loved my eggs that way, and this was no exception. It was delicious, and I’ll get it again. The seasoned potatoes were amazing as well, and I was given ketchup in a small silver cup. I usually prefer ranch, but that was good as well.

First Watch Café is very involved in all of the communities where they operate. You can even fill out a form on the Contact Us page if you have a cause you’d like for them to donate to. They’ve also set goals to achieve by 2024 for animal welfare, which include the following:

• Using broiler breeds approved by Global Animal Partnership (GAP) as having higher welfare outcomes;
• Providing birds more space and stocking density in barns in accordance with GAP Standards;
• Enhancing the birds’ living environments, including improved litter, lighting, and enrichment, per GAP standards;
• Ensuring birds are rendered unconscious using multi-step controlled atmospheric stunning.

Overall, I give them 5 out of 5 stars for their delicious food, positive atmosphere, and good service. One of those stars is for their involvement in the community and their efforts to accommodate allergies and diets in their menu.