- December 13, 2025
-
-
Loading
Loading
Christopher Galluzzo. Nasdaq had a photographer stationed on the rooftop of a tall building across the street to capture the First Watch Team Oct. 1
Luke Howell. University Park-based First Watch is the first major company in the Sarasota-Bradenton region to go public in 15 years.
Luke Howell. Employees stayed at a hotel two blocks from the Nasdaq.
First Watch Vice President of Culinary Strategy Shane Schaibly joined the team at breakfast on the 10th floor of the Nasdaq building before the stock market opened.
Luke Howell. Chris Tomasso, right, led the company’s trip to New York to celebrate the IPO.
Luke Howell. The company's first stock trade happened around 11:30 a.m. Oct. 1
Luke Howell. First Watch Chairman Emeritus Ken pendery wasn't able to make the trip to New York City, but was there virtually, along with his wife, Jenny pendery.
Luke Howell. First Watch President and CEO Chris Tomasso spoke with reporters from multiple financial news outlets throughout the day.
Luke Howell. Chris Tomasso has been with First Watch since 2006.
Luke Howell. First Watch CFO Mel Hope was one of several executives who congratulated the team on the IPO.
Luke Howell. First Watch Chief People Officer Laura Sorensen was one several executives on the trip.
One of the more unheralded features of the business model at east Manatee County-based breakfast-brunch-lunch chain First Watch has been patience.
Executives waited for years, for example, to launch a franchise program, turning down multiple queries along the way — sometimes coming in every week. And while growth, in revenue and store count, has come quickly in the past five years, the 30 or so years before that saw the company expand in a more deliberate and measured way. The company’s IPO followed a similar patience model: it had been in business for nearly 40 years and had multimillion-dollar investments from at least three private equity firms going back to 2004 before it took its shot at the public markets.
