Sign In
Upcoming Event
Free Newsletter
First Watch joins growing list of food options in Cumberland County
By Stephanie Kalina-Metzger//October 15, 2019//
First Watch joins growing list of food options in Cumberland County
The implosion of an office building at the intersection of Poplar Church and Erford roads in May 2017 laid the groundwork for a flurry of commercial development in East Pennsboro Township, starting with a Sheetz and later Camp Hill Commons.
Triple Crown Corp. and J.C. Bar Properties Inc. then took on another project that had area residents guessing what was going into the location until the First Watch “coming soon” sign went up on the building at 101 Senate Avenue.
The Florida-based chain is relatively new to Central Pennsylvania. The first restaurant opened at the Hershey Towne Square in Derry Township on Feb. 25, and the newest West Shore location opening Sept. 30.
George Book, president and CEO of the West Shore Chamber of Commerce, said the business boom in the area is being viewed favorably due to the population growth in Cumberland County, the fastest growing county in the state, according to the Pennsylvania Data Center.
“From our perspective, choice is always a good thing and our county is growing so quickly that we have to make sure we have enough offerings for our residents,” said Book.
First Watch, which takes its name from a nautical term for the first shift of the day, serves breakfast and lunch with choices ranging from Belgian waffles and french toast to frittatas and “power bowls.” It has a mixture of health-conscious foods with traditional favorites like “Million Dollar Bacon” drenched in maple syrup with black and cayenne pepper.
The chain opened its first cafe in Pacific Grove, Calif. in 1983 before moving its headquarters to Florida three years later. The chain, which was slow to make inroads in Pennsylvania, is now experiencing tremendous growth, according to Mike Lee, regional vice president of operations who began working with First Watch in 2015.
In 2014, the chain revisited its culinary strategy and in 2015 hired Shane Schaibly, a top graduate of Johnson & Wales University in Providence, R.I. as its corporate chef. Schaibly launched a seasonal menu offering three to four entrees and seasonal fresh juices, Lee said.
“Serving breakfast and lunch only was a novel concept in the 1980s,” Lee said. “At that time, we had 120 restaurants. We are now at 385 nationwide, with 15 in Pennsylvania.”
