First Watch grows in Manatee County with new Lakewood Ranch restaurant

A celebrated brunch restaurant is opening a new location in Lakewood Ranch — and it has more in the works for Manatee County as well. 

First Watch plans to welcome patrons to its eatery at the intersection of State Road 70 East and Lorraine Road in east Manatee County Monday, May 6.

To usher in the opening in Lakewood Ranch, First Watch is offering a free cup of Project Sunrise coffee to each patron with a meal from May 6-10. Project Sunrise coffee is sourced by women coffee farmers in South America. Other fan favorites on the menu include lemon ricotta pancakes, avocado toast and million-dollar bacon, according to a statement from First Watch, which serves breakfast and lunch. In addition to brunch food, the restaurant offers juices and cocktails from a bar.

The new location will be the second for Lakewood Ranch; there is a First Watch on Market Street off University Parkway, less than 6 miles away.

When it opens, the new eatery will seat 200 people in a 5,560-square-foot space, with outdoor dining available under a covered patio.

First Watch is headquartered in a Benderson Development office park off Interstate 75 and University Parkway. Publicly traded on the Nasdaq exchange under the symbol FWRG, the company had $891.6 million in revenue in 2023. That year, First Watch was also recognized as the top restaurant brand in Yelp’s inaugural list of the 50 most-loved brands in the U.S.

From its headquarters in Manatee County, "we’ve expanded our brunch occasion to more than 30 restaurants across Florida’s Suncoast,” First Watch Regional Vice President of Operations Brian Wynne says in a statement. The new restaurant in Lakewood Ranch is "the first of many more to come," Wynne says, adding: "We’re looking forward to staying close to this community.”

By the end of 2024, First Watch expects to open a restaurant at 8990 US 301 North in Parrish, and it has several leases in various stages of negotiation, according to the statement. The pending leases are also in Manatee County, a spokesperson tells the Business Observer.

First Watch has more than 520 restaurants in 29 states. It plans to open between 51 to 57 new restaurants this year, according to its 2024 outlook.

The Lakewood Ranch eatery will employ 30 people, and the business is currently hiring.

First Watch at 14475 State Road 70 East opens Monday, May 6. Hours will be 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily.