Name: Matt Eisenacher
New title: Chief Brand Officer, First Watch
Previous title: Senior Vice President of Brand Strategy, First Watch
Matt Eisenacher’s promotion comes after four years in his previous position, where he oversaw various initiatives that boosted brand awareness at the 490-unit daytime full-service dining chain. Specifically, he helped improve the company’s customer-facing, digital touch points and elevated seasonal LTO launches into “national brand moments,” the company said.
“Matt has proven to be an invaluable part of this team,” Chris Tomasso, First Watch CEO, said in a statement. “His leadership and marketing expertise have helped us significantly deepen awareness of the First Watch brand across generations while also raising the bar on how First Watch shows up in the lives of our customers.”
In addition to a decade of experience in the restaurant industry, Eisenacher’s career includes four years in various brand leadership positions at Abbott Nutrition and more than two years at Nestle USA, according to his LinkedIn profile. He began his career at PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Matt Eisenacher’s restaurant resume
- Aug. 2023 to present: Chief brand officer, First Watch Restaurant Group
- April 2019 to Aug. 2023: SVP brand strategy and innovation, First Watch Restaurant Group
- Jan. 2018 to March 2019: Chief brand officer, The Piada Group
- Dec. 2016 to Jan. 2018: VP of marketing and brand development, The Piada Group
- Dec. 2013 to Dec. 2016: Director of marketing, The Piada Group
Past wins: In 2022, Eisenacher was named one of the 13 most influential marketing leaders in the restaurant industry by FSR Magazine.
What’s on Matt’s plate: Consumer awareness of the breakfast/brunch concept will expand as the company grows nationally. The chain expects to open about 45 to 51 net new units this year as First Watch works toward its goal of having 2,200 domestic units. Average unit volumes at new locations far exceed existing restuarants, Tomasso said during an August earnings call.
First Watch leans into its seasonal menu items, which it typically changes out five times a year, to help attract new customers and boost the frequency of existing guests.
The brand also is seeing a shift back to in-person dining occasions, which helps generate a better customer experience than off-premise channels, Tomasso said.
