First Watch’s positive momentum continues, with another strong quarter of 3.4% same-store sales growth and double-digit revenue growth for the second quarter, thanks to a robust pipeline of store openings. But the company still faces some challenges in making the transition from a regional breakfast chain to a nationally recognized brand, even five years after its IPO first launched.
Still, the Bradenton, Florida-based brand has made strides in consumer awareness, with unaided brand recognition increasing by 50% and aided brand recognition increasing by 15% over the past year.
Brand recognition has grown naturally over time, as the company has expanded its store portfolio by more than 50% since going public almost five years ago, and is now in 33 states.
But the breakfast brand is not satisfied with just relying on natural word of mouth as First Watch continues to open stores in new states, including its latest new territory, New Hampshire. It is deploying aggressive marketing and social media campaigns to close the brand awareness gap with morning daypart leaders like IHOP and Denny's.
According to Technomic data, First Watch's brand awareness jumped from 13% in 2023 to 17% in 2025 and has held steady at 17% since then. While the company’s numbers are improving, First Watch’s brand awareness remains underdeveloped compared to its larger peers. IHOP and Denny’s, for example, both had brand awareness of around 70% in 2025.
“Our marketing investments are not only increasing awareness of the First Watch brand but also strengthening occasion consideration and supporting conversion of potential customers into regular customers,” CEO Chris Tomasso said during Tuesday’s earnings call. “This remains a very large opportunity for First Watch, as overall awareness of our brand is relatively low from an industry standpoint.”
The company noted that social media influencer campaigns have been particularly helpful in “showcasing the brand in a more authentic and customer-centric way” while introducing more potential future customers to First Watch. The company has also expanded its YouTube presence and employed a more visual, video-first digital marketing strategy.
“We view these efforts as important building blocks to create awareness, deepen engagement, and ultimately to convert that into restaurant traffic over time,” Tomasso said.
The marketing strategy seems to be working. Tomasso said that “in targeted acquisition campaigns,” 17% of new customers have returned for a second visit, which is higher than the brand’s typical rate of customer returns.
“We're not just reaching new customers; we're bringing them back,” Tomasso said.
Contact Joanna at joanna.fantozzi@informa.com
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a Restaurant Business member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.