Better Health for All

First Watch demonstrates strong food safety systems, with its use of FoodLogiQ Recall software enabling 100% completion of the most recent mock recall within 2 hours across its restaurants, indicating an adverse events rate of <1 per million.

The company has replaced 30 million plastic straws annually with plant-based, marine biodegradable straws in over 440 restaurants, which is a positive environmental health externality. During the COVID-19 pandemic, First Watch established the You First Fund with an initial commitment of $25 million to provide $1,000 grants to employees, and offered healthcare benefits including telemedicine to employees and their families. The company provides detailed nutrition and allergen information for its menu items, which include dishes with high calorie and sodium content, such as the Elote Breakfast Burrito (1570 calories, 3670mg sodium) and Shrimp and Grits (710 calories, 2680mg sodium).

Fair Pay & Worker Respect

Employee satisfaction, based on those who strongly agree or agree, is reported at 38%.

The company has been recognized as a Newsweek Top 100 Most Loved Workplace for 2022, 2023, and 2024, ranking in 2024, and received the ADP 2022 Culture at Work Award.

Fair Trade & Ethical Sourcing

No specific, concrete data points were found in the provided articles to assess First Watch Restaurant Group, Inc. against the defined KPIs for Fair Trade & Ethical Sourcing. While one article mentions 85% of açaí used in a specific product is certified Fair Trade,

this evidence is limited to a single ingredient in one product and does not represent the company's overall tier-1 spend. Information regarding audit frequency, forced/child labor incidents, supply chain traceability, remediation speed for ethical violations, ethical clause coverage, materials risk, or supplier diversity spend is not available.

Honest & Fair Business

The provided articles do not contain any specific, concrete data points or quantitative information relevant to the requested KPIs for assessing First Watch Restaurant Group, Inc. against the 'Honest & Fair Business' value.

Therefore, no KPIs can be scored.

Kind to Animals

First Watch sources all egg products and made-to-order egg dishes from certified cage-free eggs, a practice in place since 2015, though this is subject to market conditions and supply constraints.

As of March 2025, 100% of deli ham offerings are sourced from farms with group housing systems for pregnant sows. However, the company's pig supply chain uses gestation crates, which confine pregnant pigs in small cages preventing them from turning around. This practice is described as extreme cruelty and is illegal or restricted in many developed economies and 11 U.S. states. First Watch has been criticized for refusing to adopt an animal welfare policy for pigs. While broiler chicken suppliers are American Humane Certified and meet 100% of Better Chicken Commitment/Global Animal Partnership standards for litter and enrichment, and land-based protein suppliers follow humane handling guidelines, the company's overall animal testing policy is vague, with no specific details provided.

Respect for Cultures & Communities

The provided articles detail First Watch's employee-centric initiatives, sustainability efforts, animal welfare commitments, and diversity and inclusion programs. While the company engages in charitable giving, such as donations to local Black community charities and the Equal Justice Initiative, and provides scholarships for first-generation college students,

none of the articles provide specific quantitative data directly relevant to the defined KPIs for 'Respect for Cultures & Communities'. There is no evidence regarding formal partnerships with indigenous or local community groups, cultural impact assessments, local employment ratios, cultural preservation investments, or any other metrics that could be scored against the rubric.

Safe & Smart Tech

First Watch Restaurant Group has not experienced cybersecurity threats or incidents that have materially affected the company as of its 2025 Annual Report.

No documented incidents of unauthorized data use have been reported. The company provides moderate data control options to users, including rights to access, delete, and correct personal information, and commits to responding to requests within 45 days. However, it does not currently respond to Do Not Track (DNT) signals. First Watch conducts ongoing internal and external vulnerability and penetration scans, with critical vulnerabilities patched within 21-30 days on average. Security testing includes regular testing for 40-55% of systems, with a comprehensive methodology for critical systems. The company evaluates compliance with privacy and data security regulations, including CCPA, and incurred a $0.8 million charge in Q4 2023 for estimated probable losses from the Delaware Voluntary Disclosure Agreement Program.

Zero Waste & Sustainable Products

First Watch Restaurant Group achieved a total waste diversion rate of 62%.

The company reported zero major waste disposal violations in 2024, indicating no waste disposal violations in the past 3 years. First Watch has implemented waste reduction initiatives, including replacing 30 million plastic straws annually with compostable phade® straws, offering 100% recyclable to-go paper bags and containers, and using napkins made with 100% recycled paper.