First Watch Restaurant Group, the Bradenton-born daytime dining chain, has cut its chief operations officer role and shifted day-to-day oversight directly to President and CEO Chris Tomasso. The change, effective March 27, 2026, is part of a broader restructuring of the company’s operations leadership as the fast-growing brand tries to keep its expansion plans running on time and on budget.
What the filing says
According to First Watch, a Form 8-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission states that the company terminated Dan Jones’ employment as chief operations officer on March 27. The filing notes that operations leaders will now report directly to President and Chief Executive Officer Chris Tomasso and thanks Jones for his “substantial contributions during a transformational period” for the company. The document does not identify an immediate replacement for Jones, which underscores that this is a structural change rather than a standard backfill.
Expansion and the costs of growth
The leadership shakeup follows a year of record expansion. First Watch reported opening 64 system-wide restaurants in 2025 and closing out the year with 633 locations, according to the company’s Feb. 24 earnings release. That same release projected $150 million to $160 million in capital expenditures for 2026 to fund new restaurants and a wave of remodels. On top of that, the Tampa Bay Business Journal has reported that First Watch has poured “hundreds of millions” into new openings over the past four years. Taken together, the numbers help explain why management is tightening the operations reporting structure as the chain juggles heavy construction spending and rapid unit growth.
Executives' comments and what's next
A company spokesperson told Restaurant Dive that First Watch has “a talented leadership team in place” and is “maintaining business continuity” as it rolls out the new structure. In February, the company also announced that Chief Financial Officer Mel Hope intends to retire later in 2026 and will stay on until a successor is in the chair, according to a company press release. Together, the moves suggest a deliberate reshuffling at the top aimed at keeping the growth story intact while simplifying who calls the shots on operations.
Why Bradenton and Tampa Bay should care
Headquartered in Bradenton, First Watch has become a marquee regional employer as it spreads across Florida and the Sun Belt. Executive-level changes at the corporate office can ripple through local hiring, construction timelines, and vendor relationships. Coverage in the Business Observer has highlighted the company’s strong 2025 performance and the scale of its planned unit growth, framing First Watch’s corporate decisions as a local economic story as much as a national restaurant headline.
Bottom line
By folding operations reporting directly into the CEO’s office, First Watch is centralizing decision making while it pushes ahead with an aggressive new-unit pipeline and sizable capital spending. Publicly, management is stressing stability and continuity. Investors, franchise and development partners, and local stakeholders will be watching to see whether this leaner structure keeps service and execution steady as the chain opens dozens of new restaurants this year.
