The restaurant is one of 18 planned First Watch openings in partnership with Mac Haik Enterprises
Award-winning breakfast, brunch and lunch restaurant First Watch today announced it will open its first restaurant in the Lone Star State in partnership with Mac Haik Enterprises on Monday, June 20. The restaurant will open at 4501 S. Texas Ave., directly across the street from Texas A&M University’s Hensel Park and just north of the intersection of Texas Avenue and University Drive. The 3,600-square-foot restaurant is the first of 18 planned First Watch restaurants in Southeastern Texas and Southwestern Louisiana as part of a franchise agreement with Mac Haik Enterprises.
Houston-based Mac Haik Enterprises operates successful companies in diverse industries including a commercial real estate development entity that builds, owns and manages office buildings, medical buildings, retail centers and hotels. Now Haik, former wide receiver for the Houston Oilers and founder of Houston-based Mac Haik Enterprises, has turned his focus to being a part of First Watch’s successful growth.
“First Watch is undoubtedly going to fill a significant gap in Southeastern Texas that has been largely untouched, and we are proud to be part of that growth and success,” said Haik, CEO of Mac Haik Enterprises. “We chose to open in College Station first, primarily because of the proximity to a university with such a vibrant, eclectic student body and surrounding community. I’m confident that the foodies here will love the fresh ingredients and unique menu items First Watch is bringing to Aggie Nation.”
“As we continue to grow the First Watch brand, it’s important to ensure that we’re working with successful, dedicated restaurant operators whose values align with ours,” said Chris Tomasso, president of First Watch. “We found that Mac’s team exemplifies those qualities, and they have extensive experience with the retail and restaurant landscape in Texas and Louisiana. We’re confident they’ll do a fantastic job of showing College Station, and eventually Houston, Austin, San Antonio and Baton Rouge, what First Watch is all about.”
The new restaurant will offer indoor and outdoor seating and feature First Watch’s latest interior design, which combines farm fresh elements with a more high-energy, urban vibe.
The company’s curated menu takes an elevated approach to traditional and innovative offerings made to order using farm fresh ingredients. It includes items such as Avocado Toast, Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict, Farm Stand Breakfast Tacos and Lemon Ricotta Pancakes. The Texas Avenue First Watch will offer healthy, flavorful favorites like house-made granola and pico de gallo, organic greens, house-roasted vegetables, cage-free eggs and 100% fresh-squeezed orange juice as well as more indulgent, traditional breakfast, brunch and lunch offerings.
First Watch will also offer options from the restaurant’s Fresh Juice Bar, featuring the popular Kale Tonic and Day Glow offerings, juiced in-house daily from fresh fruits and vegetables sourced locally whenever possible. The restaurant will serve its exclusive Sunrise Select Premium Blend Coffee, made from slow-roasted, hand-selected, high-grown coffee beans from mountains across North, Central and South America, by the pot.
Now one of First Watch’s newest franchise owners, Haik was formerly The Egg & I’s largest franchisee who sold his 30-restaurant entity and his major position in the previously 114-restaurant company to First Watch upon its acquisition of The Egg & I in May 2015.
First Watch serves its entire menu seven days a week from 7 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. The restaurant also offers guests complimentary newspapers and free Wi-Fi Internet access.
For First Watch franchise information, please visit http://www.firstwatch.com/franchise/.
First Watch specializes in award-winning, made-to-order Breakfast, Brunch and Lunch. A recipient of more than 200 “Best Breakfast” and “Best Brunch” accolades, First Watch offers traditional favorites, such as omelets, pancakes, sandwiches and salads, and unique specialty items like Quinoa Power Bowls, Avocado Toast and the Chickichanga. First Watch was named a 2015 Top Consumer Pick by Nation’s Restaurant News and has received other recognition including being named a 2013 “Next 20” Emerging Brand by Nation’s Restaurant News and a 2014 Top Franchise Value by FSR Magazine. First Watch is the largest and fastest-growing daytime-only restaurant concept in the U.S. with more than 280 restaurants in 26 states, including more than 150 First Watch restaurants, 111 The Egg & I Restaurants, 12 The Good Egg restaurants and one Bread & Company restaurant in Nashville (with another one under construction). For more information, visit firstwatch.com.
Mac Haik Enterprises includes a commercial real estate development entity that builds, owns and manages office buildings, medical buildings, retail centers, restaurants and hotels. Mac Haik Automotive Group is the largest independent automotive group in the state of Texas and the 15th largest in the United States. MH Outdoor is one of the fastest growing outdoor advertising media companies in the country and the Egg & I has been one of the most rapidly expanding breakfast and lunch concepts in the US. Acuity Healthcare (a hospital organization) has also been one of the fastest growing long term acute care hospital entities (LTACH’s) in the country. The overall MHE companies employ approximately 3,080 employees nationwide.
