How many employees work at First Watch Restaurants?
First Watch Restaurants, Inc. has approximately 16,614 total employees worldwide as of March 2026, according to Revelio Labs workforce intelligence data. First Watch Restaurants’s total headcount has declined 7.5% from 17,964 employees in 2023 to 16,614 in 2026.
Is First Watch Restaurants hiring right now?
Yes, First Watch Restaurants is actively hiring. First Watch Restaurants had 271 active job postings in 2026, a 16.8% increase from 2025 — see job openings & hiring trends.
About First Watch Restaurants’s Workforce
First Watch Restaurants, Inc. is a Hospitality and Tourism Management company that employs 16,614 people worldwide as of March 2026. It is the 2nd-largest by headcount among its peers. Founded in 1983, the company is headquartered in Bradenton, Florida.
First Watch Restaurants's workforce has declined 7.5% from 2023 to 2026, down 2.8% year over year in 2026. It fell to a low of 16,614 in 2026 Q1 before recovering. Its workforce is concentrated most in North America (98.9%), followed by Southern Europe (0.4%) and Eastern Europe (0.2%).
First Watch Restaurants's functional groups are Finance and Operations (59.4%), Engineering (27.3%), and Sales and Marketing (13.3%), with Engineering growing fastest (up 1.2%). The average salary is $43,195, ranging from a median of $32,000 in North America to $21,000 in Southern Europe, up 2.7% year over year in 2026.
First Watch Restaurants's active job postings rose 16.8% in 2026 to 271, with new postings per month cooling from 294 in 2023 to 201 in 2026. Overall employee sentiment is neutral but improving.
Sourced from Revelio Labs workforce data.
- Headquarters
- Bradenton, Florida
- Founded
- 1983
- Industry
- Hospitality and Tourism Management
- Employees
- 16,614
- YoY
- -2.8% (-414)
As of March 2026
First Watch Restaurants workforce metrics
Unlock hiring rate, attrition rate, and 12 additional workforce metrics for First Watch Restaurants. Compare to peers, export the dataset, and access the full quarterly history.
Unlock MetricsFirst Watch Restaurants Annual Employee Count (2023-2026)
- First Watch Restaurants had 16,614 employees in 2026, a 2.8% decline (-414) from 2025.
- First Watch Restaurants had 16,734 employees in 2025, a 2.3% decline (-382) from 2024.
- First Watch Restaurants had 17,116 employees in 2024, a 0.8% decline (-360) from 2023.
- First Watch Restaurants had 17,476 employees in 2023, a 1.5% increase (+346) from 2022.
First Watch Restaurants's total workforce has declined from 17,964 employees in 2023 to 16,614 in 2026.
First Watch Restaurants, Inc. quarterly employee count
| Year | Qtr | Employees | YoY Change | YoY % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Q1 | 16,614 | -414 | -2.8% |
| 2025 | Q4 | 16,734 | -382 | -2.3% |
| 2025 | Q3 | 16,852 | -229 | -2.0% |
| 2025 | Q2 | 17,220 | -265 | -1.8% |
| 2025 | Q1 | 17,028 | -103 | -1.2% |
| 2024 | Q4 | 17,116 | -360 | -0.8% |
| 2024 | Q3 | 17,081 | -448 | -0.6% |
| 2024 | Q2 | 17,485 | -479 | -1.2% |
| 2024 | Q1 | 17,131 | -242 | +1.1% |
| 2023 | Q4 | 17,476 | +346 | +1.5% |
| 2023 | Q3 | 17,529 | +485 | +2.7% |
| 2023 | Q2 | 17,964 | +102 | +1.9% |
See First Watch Restaurants's complete headcount history, including quarterly breakdowns.
Get the DataFirst Watch Restaurants Employee Count by Region (2026)
North America accounts for the largest share of First Watch Restaurants's global workforce with approximately 99% of total employees, followed by Southern Europe and Eastern Europe.
First Watch Restaurants employees by region
| Region | Employees | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| North America | 16,286 | 98.9% |
| Southern Europe | 61 | 0.4% |
| Eastern Europe | 36 | 0.2% |
| South America | 20 | 0.1% |
| Arab States | 17 | 0.1% |
| Central America and the Caribbean | 16 | 0.1% |
| South Asia | 13 | 0.1% |
| Northern Europe | 8 | 0.0% |
| Western Europe | 4 | 0.0% |
Drill into city-level data, hiring trends by region, and historic geographic shifts.
Unlock Geographic DataFirst Watch Restaurants Employee Count by Department (2026)
First Watch Restaurants's employee groups are Finance and Operations (59.4%), Engineering (27.3%), and Sales and Marketing (13.3%).
First Watch Restaurants employees by department
| Department | Employees | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Finance and Operations | 9,836 | 59.4% |
| Engineering | 4,530 | 27.3% |
| Sales and Marketing | 2,207 | 13.3% |
Compare First Watch Restaurants's department mix to industry peers.
See Full DataFirst Watch Restaurants Employee Salary by Region (2026)
First Watch Restaurants's average employee salary is $43,195 globally. Employees in North America receive the highest compensation. Pay is lowest in Southern Europe, at a median of $21,000.
First Watch Restaurants median employee salary by region (USD)
| Region | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| North America | $32,000 |
| Southern Europe | $21,000 |
Unlock salary by role, level, and city — and compare to First Watch Restaurants's industry peers.
Unlock Salary DataFirst Watch Restaurants Job Openings and Hiring Trends (2023-2026)
- First Watch Restaurants had 271 active job postings in 2026, a 16.8% increase (+201) from 2025.
- First Watch Restaurants had 70 active job postings in 2025, a 81.9% decline (-97) from 2024.
- First Watch Restaurants had 167 active job postings in 2024, a 27.4% decline (-53) from 2023.
- First Watch Restaurants had 220 active job postings in 2023, a 41.1% increase from 2022.
- Hiring velocity in 2026: 201 new roles/month, up from 181 in 2025 and 286 in 2024.
First Watch Restaurants's active job postings rose 16.8% in 2026 to 271, with new postings per month cooling from 294 in 2023 to 201 in 2026.
Track new postings per month, role-level demand, and hiring velocity vs. peers.
Unlock Hiring DataFirst Watch Restaurants Employee Sentiment (2026)
Revelio Labs tracks employee sentiment across First Watch Restaurants's workforce based on public professional data. Overall sentiment is neutral and has improved year over year in 2026.
Overall
Unlock the full sentiment breakdown by department, tenure, and trend over time.
Unlock SentimentSimilar Companies
Similar Hospitality and Tourism Management Companies by Employee Count
Frequently Asked Questions About First Watch Restaurants
- How fast is First Watch Restaurants growing?
- In 2026, First Watch Restaurants's headcount shrank 2.8% to 16,614 employees, down from 17,028 in 2025.
- See the full headcount history
- Where are First Watch Restaurants employees located?
- Most First Watch Restaurants employees are based in North America (98.9% of headcount), followed by Southern Europe and Eastern Europe.
- Explore where the workforce is based
- What is the average salary at First Watch Restaurants?
- The average employee salary at First Watch Restaurants is approximately $43.2k per year.
- Analyze the salary distribution
- How many new job postings does First Watch Restaurants open per year?
- In Q1 2026, First Watch Restaurants opened 604 new job postings. In 2025, First Watch Restaurants opened 2,175 new job postings — about 181 per month.
- Track hiring trends by role
- When was First Watch Restaurants founded and where is it headquartered?
- First Watch Restaurants was founded in 1983 and is headquartered in Bradenton, Florida.
- Compare First Watch Restaurants to industry peers
Speak with a workforce expert about First Watch Restaurants.
Book a DemoSee something that doesn't look right? Reach out and our team will review it.