Award-winning breakfast, brunch and lunch restaurant First Watch has named Kevin Hall as vice president of franchising, a new position for the company.
Hall is a First Watch veteran, having started with the company in 1992 as an assistant manager and working his way up to regional vice president and then vice president of brand standards in 2004. As vice president of franchising, Hall will be responsible for managing franchise expansion plans and assisting current franchise partners with development and operations.
The company’s aggressive growth strategy calls for more than 300 restaurants by 2017, with roughly one third of those being franchises.
“Having been with First Watch for more than 20 years now, Kevin has an in-depth understanding of our operations from the ground up,” said Ken Pendery, chief executive officer of First Watch. “He truly is a brand advocate and will be a major asset in our efforts to attract new franchise partners and grow our relationship with existing ones.”
While First Watch has been operating for more than 30 years, the restaurant company only recently started franchising to prepare for accelerated growth. News of Hall’s promotion comes on the heels of several recent announcements for expansion in new and current markets, as well as a new multi-unit franchise agreement with Capstone Concepts to open eight restaurants over the next five years in Tennessee, Kentucky, and North Carolina.
Hall is a graduate of The Culinary Institute of America.
