First Watch orders up Ocala

BRADENTON — A franchisor for First Watch announced it plans to debut the restaurant in Ocala by the end of the year.

The new breakfast-and-lunch eatery, to be located at 3411 S.W. 36th Terrace in the to-be-developed College Plaza, will have 3,600 square feet with a 1,000-square-foot patio.

The Ocala restaurant will be the second franchise owned and operated FW Florida Inc., led by President Joe Cody. Cody's company currently operates a First Watch in The Villages. According to a news release, FW Florida Inc. plans to open five First Watch restaurants throughout north Central Florida, including Gainesville. The Business Review previously reported that the company also has secured development rights for an additional location in Iowa.

The Bradenton-based, daytime-only restaurant company has pursued an aggressive growth strategy, and now has 100 restaurants in 14 states. Its co-founder, Ken Pendery Jr., was named a Business Review Entrepreneur of the Year in 2011.