FSR sat down with Melissa Walsh to learn how she’s leading First Watch into the future when it comes to data. For example, with the help of Walsh, the breakfast and brunch brand is using custom data tracking to sharpen its consumer insights strategy. Since joining in 2021, Walsh has spearheaded the launch of a proprietary tracker to decode customer preferences and emerging trends—like the growing demand for snacks and shareables. She also shares insights on overcoming data challenges and connecting more effectively with consumers at the brand’s 500-plus locations.
What is a current priority in your role?
Since coming on board in 2021, trying to find a syndicated research tool that was helpful and actionable for us has been very difficult, just given the constraints of sample size.
Role: Brand Insights Manager
Brand: First Watch
Locations: 500+
Founded: 1983
HQ: Bradenton, Florida
So we recently (in June 2024) launched our own custom tracker, and we set it up to be the most valuable for the efforts and attributes we’re wanting to monitor for a longer-term play.
Have you seen any impacts from that initiative yet?
I think that has really helped our team focus on where we should be prioritizing in terms of overall value. We now have access to all of that data, and we’re just scratching the surface in how we leverage that. You can look at it so many different ways, by demographics, by First Watch users, category users. So I’m pretty pumped that we’re leveraging that to really help us understand our customer and our category more.
What are some broader industry trends you’ve noticed in your research?
One trend that we’re starting to follow is the purpose of snacks—A.M. snacks, P.M. snacks. I think there’s something to be said with the introduction of Crumbl Cookies and Jenny’s. What I’m trying to prove out is, younger customers in particular almost have an obligation to treat themselves. Treating themselves is still very valuable … and I think it’s been almost amplified post-COVID.
We’ve not really tapped into that occasion yet. For us, I think we are trying to get into the shareables and what that looks like, so our Stay Golden Cinnamon Roll … we’re trying to tap into what that looks like. We’ve tested donuts in the past on our seasonal menu, we’ve done cornbread. It’s relevant on how we’re trying to do that with our menu; being a sit-down, it’s a very different ball game than your typical QSRs and fast casuals of the world.
What challenges are top of mind?
The challenge I think everyone faces is being able to connect all the right data pieces together; I still think that is an issue many brands face. We are in the process of making them all talk together so we can action on it, so future state, I think being able to focus and understand our customers in full. This is going to sound cliche, but having the right message at the right time in the right channel, and being able to measure that whole journey at each touch point is going to be a game changer.
I think for me, the focus and goals are really to track each part of the journey and understand how we can continue to just connect with consumers in the way that resonates with them.
