First Watch opens at Oaks Mall

First Watch storefront on Newberry Road. Photo by Lillian Hamman
First Watch storefront on Newberry Road.
Photo by Lillian Hamman

First Watch’s Gainesville presence doubled on Monday after the grand opening of the breakfast and brunch chain’s second location at 6483 W Newberry Rd.  

The new First Watch in front of Oaks Mall comes just a few months after the first Gainesville storefront opened on Archer Road last year. 

Customers who eat at the Newberry Road location through Friday, Jan. 24, will receive a free cup of Project Sunrise coffee with their meal to celebrate the opening, and the first of five seasonal menus will be offered in the spring. 

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“We’ve been talking about moving forward for a long time,” said Allison McEleavy, the Newberry Road location’s front-of-house operation manager. “People in Gainesville would come down [to Ocala] and be like, ‘when are you gonna open in Gainesville?’ We got pushed back a couple times, you know, just for things out of our control. But finally, we’re open. It’s insane.” 

Inside First Watch's new storefront on Newberry Road on its second day open. Photo by Lillian Hamman
Inside First Watch’s new storefront on Newberry Road on its second day open.

The daytime diner based in Bradenton operates more than 540 locations across 29 states, according to a press release. Traditional favorites on the menu such as Avocado Toast, Lemon Ricotta Pancakes and Million Dollar Bacon are served with an “elevated approach,” and all dishes are made to order in a kitchen without heat lamps, microwaves or deep fryers.  

First Watch also offers a daytime bar dispensing juice made fresh daily and coffee sourced by South American female coffee farmers. 

McEleavy said that because the Archer Road First Watch has been so busy, she expected a slim crowd on opening day at the new 4,200-square-foot Newberry Road location. But she said general manager Tony Sullivan’s hand-picked team of around 50 employees got the Newberry Road operation up and running smoothly for a strong crowd. 

“I was nervous, it [was] my first opening,” she said. “But we got off pretty well without a hitch. Everything’s just been working out well, I couldn’t have asked for better.” 

First Watch on Newberry Road is open every day from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for dine-in, delivery and pick-up, operating under a “No Night Shifts Ever” approach. This aims to help the team enjoy their evenings and build a better quality of life. Newsweek and the Best Practice Institute named First Watch the 2024 No. 1 Most Loved Workplace in America, and in 2023 Yelp included the restaurant on the inaugural list of top 50 most-loved brands in the U.S.  

“We’re just about making days brighter,” McEleavy said. “We just want to help you start your day, or have that midday little pop of color. We’re here to make you happy. We’ve got a great staff willing to take care of you with smiles, so that’s been the best part about it.” 

Anyone interested in applying to work at First Watch can view open applications here. Orders can be placed and digital waitlists can be joined online.  

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Celtiegirl

Female coffee farmers? Let’s be sure to buy their coffee so we can actively discriminate against male coffee farmers.