Locally based national breakfast, lunch restaurant chain opening new Bradenton location

A locally based national breakfast and lunch restaurant chain has added a new area location, with another on the way.

First Watch will open Monday, Dec. 11 at 1520 Cortez Road W. in Bradenton, according to a press release. It is one of four new locations on Florida's Suncoast that have either already opened or plan to open by summer 2024, which also include an upcoming Lakewood Ranch location along State Road 70 and Lorraine Road, the same intersection Nancy's Bar-B-Q was previously located at before moving to Sarasota's Rosemary District earlier this year. The chain also plans to open a downtown Tampa restaurant, while another Hillsborough County location opened earlier this month in Brandon.

New restaurants of 2023: 38 that opened this year in Sarasota and Bradenton area

Restaurant news: Fast-casual poke bowl chain to open new Sarasota County location

Ticket Newsletter: Sign up to receive restaurant news and reviews plus info on things to do every Friday

While First Watch's original location opened in California in 1983, it has been based in Sarasota-Manatee since 1986, with its current corporate headquarters in the University Town Center area. First Watch already has several locations throughout Sarasota-Manatee, including a downtown Sarasota restaurant opened in 1992 that was recently remodeled to add an open-air patio with built-in bar and outdoor mural.

“Almost 40 years ago, our founders Ken Pendery and John Sullivan brought First Watch to this region in pursuit of sunshine and something new, and ever since, this community has embraced us with open arms,” First Watch chief brand officer Matt Eisenacher said in a statement. “Our newest restaurants, with their expansive patios and indoor-outdoor bars, promise to level up our brunch occasion and stand as the best taste of what’s to come in the year ahead."

First Watch's menu features a variety of breakfast and lunch staples including sandwiches, salads, bowls, omelets, frittatas, benedicts, hashes, and griddle dishes such as pancakes, waffles and French toast. It also offers a revolving seasonal menu five times a year, with the Bradenton location to feature its first seasonal menu in March 2024.

For beverages, First Watch offers juices, cocktails and Project Sunrise coffee, sourced by women coffee farmers based in South America. Customers who dine in at the Bradenton restaurant from opening day to Friday, Dec. 15 will receive a free cup of Project Sunrise coffee with their meal. The Bradenton location can seat nearly 190 people, with outdoor dining under a covered patio and a dedicated bar serving juices and cocktails.

First Watch's new Bradenton location will be open 7 a.m.-2:30 p.m. daily. For more information, call 941-254-3132 or visit firstwatch.com.

Email entertainment reporter Jimmy Geurts at [email protected]. Support local journalism by subscribing.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: First Watch breakfast lunch restaurant opens new Bradenton location