First Watch has announced plans to open its first restaurant in Lexington, Kentucky, in the fall of 2012. The new 3,500-square-foot restaurant will be located at 3071 Richmond Road, on the corner of Man O’ War Boulevard, in the Kroger shopping plaza.

The First Watch restaurant will be operated by the Holland Rosen Group, LLC as part of a multi-unit franchise agreement to open eight restaurants throughout Lexington and Louisville over the next five years. Each restaurant is expected to employ about 25 local employees.

“We have been very fortunate to align ourselves with excellent restaurant concepts, and First Watch is no exception,” says Gary Holland of Holland Rosen Group, LLC. “We are excited to be able to share the innovative concept of First Watch with the community of Lexington through both employment and a tasty selection of freshly prepared offerings.”

“We are thrilled with the opportunity to introduce our concept for the first time to the Lexington market,” says Chris Tomasso, chief marketing officer for First Watch. “We are equally excited to partner with proven operators like Gary and Ron and are confident that First Watch will be as well received as it has been in so many communities for nearly 30 years.”   

The restaurant will feature a new interior design concept known as “Connect.” Unveiled in the fall of 2011, it “connects” traditional First Watch design elements with contemporary executions by maximizing natural light provided during the restaurant’s daytime hours, and incorporating color tones intended to convey the warm and inviting personality of the First Watch brand.

The design also accentuates an open-kitchen concept, which reinforces First Watch’s honest approach to fresh food preparation.