First Watch expands with restaurant in new state

First Watch, the east Manatee County-based daytime dining company, is now in 32 states across the country, after opening its first location in Nevada on Sept. 15. 

The restaurant in North Las Vegas spans 4,400 square feet and seats more than 200, according to a statement. Located on East Craig Road, it features a covered patio, indoor bar and modern dining room.

“We’re excited to become part of such a great community in North Las Vegas and share our fresh approach to breakfast, brunch and lunch,” First Watch Regional Vice President Mike Lee says in a statement. As with all First Watch restaurants, hours at the Las Vegas location are 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily.

The company’s entry into the Silver State comes as part of a national expansion strategy. First Watch ultimately aims to operate 2,200 restaurants through a rate of 10% growth a year. It passed the 600-restaurant milestone in August and announced at that point, it was opening about a restaurant a week. 

The May launch of a First Watch in Idaho marked the 31st state for the company, while the January opening of a Massachusetts restaurant expanded its reach to a 30th state.

Locally, First Watch employs nearly 500 workers across Manatee and Sarasota counties, between nine locations and the company’s headquarters in the UTC area off Cooper Creek Boulevard at 8725 Pendery Place.

First Watch posted nearly $1.02 billion in revenue in 2024. It reported $307.9 million in revenue in the second quarter and projects about 20% total revenue growth for 2025.