A new First Watch cafe is headed to World Golf Village, with the breakfast-and-lunch chain planning to open its doors at 11527 St. Johns Parkway in late spring 2027. The roughly 4,000-square-foot restaurant will seat more than 170 guests, feature a covered patio and a locally inspired mural, and is expected to create about 30 jobs in St. Johns County.
The project was first reported by a company representative speaking to the Jacksonville Daily Record, which detailed the cafe’s size, seating capacity and planned amenities. The restaurant will serve First Watch’s core menu, including dishes like avocado toast, lemon ricotta pancakes and million dollar bacon, and will run on the brand’s signature single-shift schedule from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. First Watch typically begins hiring for a new location about a month before it opens, per the same account.
A Single-Shift Chain on a Growth Tear
First Watch’s daytime-only model is part of its corporate identity. The chain operates under a No Night Shifts Ever policy designed to cut staffing overhead and attract hospitality workers who want predictable hours, according to IPOScoop. That structure has helped fuel rapid expansion nationwide: the company now operates more than 660 restaurants across 33 states, the Daily Record’s report notes.
Founded in Pacific Grove, California, in 1983 by Ken Pendery and John Sullivan, First Watch moved its headquarters to Florida in 1986 and now runs from a 39,000-square-foot standalone office in Bradenton, according to background compiled by Wikipedia. The co-founders reportedly chose the name in reference to the early morning shift aboard a ship. Florida remains the chain’s deepest market, with 147 locations statewide, including eight cafes in the broader Jacksonville area, per location data compiled by ScrapeHero…