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First Watch

Chain-level protocol record — this page documents what First Watch's head office publishes for all locations. It is not a listing for one restaurant, and no individual location is graded here.

First Watch is a breakfast, brunch, and lunch chain whose website lists nutrition and allergen information for every menu item, with a downloadable PDF guide. Its allergen statement names milk, egg, fish, peanut, sesame, tree nut, shellfish, soy, and wheat among the allergen ingredients used in its kitchens, and items chart gluten separately from wheat. The chain describes allergen handling procedures guests can request and notes that gluten-free items are often prepared on shared equipment, including a shared toaster.

The chain's own allergen material

Evidence tier
Allergen menu documented
Format
web-page · document date not stated
Phone
Call (941) 907-9800
Website
www.firstwatch.com

Allergen menu

Source: First Watch Nutrition and Allergens page (firstwatch.com) · Last checked: 2026-10-28

The allergen matrix, as published

First Watch addresses 10 of the 10 allergens we track in its published allergen material. "Not addressed" means the chain's document does not cover that allergen — it does not mean the allergen is absent from the food.

AllergenAddressed in the chain's published material
Gluten Yes — covered in the published material First Watch Nutrition and Allergens page (firstwatch.com) · 2026-10-28
Milk Yes — covered in the published material First Watch Nutrition and Allergens page (firstwatch.com) · 2026-10-28
Egg Yes — covered in the published material First Watch Nutrition and Allergens page (firstwatch.com) · 2026-10-28
Peanut Yes — covered in the published material First Watch Nutrition and Allergens page (firstwatch.com) · 2026-10-28
Tree nut Yes — covered in the published material First Watch Nutrition and Allergens page (firstwatch.com) · 2026-10-28
Fish Yes — covered in the published material First Watch Nutrition and Allergens page (firstwatch.com) · 2026-10-28
Shellfish Yes — covered in the published material First Watch Nutrition and Allergens page (firstwatch.com) · 2026-10-28
Soy Yes — covered in the published material First Watch Nutrition and Allergens page (firstwatch.com) · 2026-10-28
Wheat Yes — covered in the published material First Watch Nutrition and Allergens page (firstwatch.com) · 2026-10-28
Sesame Yes — covered in the published material First Watch Nutrition and Allergens page (firstwatch.com) · 2026-10-28

The chain's own cross-contact statement

First Watch states that its gluten-free items are often prepared with shared equipment, including a shared toaster, that cross contact is very likely, and that ingredients containing milk, egg, fish, peanut, sesame, tree nut, shellfish, soy, and wheat are made in the same kitchen, with a risk of cross-contact on shared surfaces and equipment.

Quoted/summarised from First Watch Nutrition and Allergens page (firstwatch.com), checked 2026-10-28.

The protocol, in full: Chain protocol

Allergen menu First Watch publishes a nutrition and allergens page listing the allergens present in each menu item, with gluten charted separately from wheat, and links a downloadable PDF guide with more detailed nutrition and allergen information. First Watch Nutrition and Allergens page (firstwatch.com) · 2026-10-28
Dedicated facility Not documented — not published in source (not documented) First Watch Nutrition and Allergens page (firstwatch.com) · 2026-10-28
Dedicated fryer Not documented — not published in source (not documented) First Watch Nutrition and Allergens page (firstwatch.com) · 2026-10-28
Dedicated prep Not documented — not published in source (not documented) First Watch Nutrition and Allergens page (firstwatch.com) · 2026-10-28
Staff training Not documented — not published in source (not documented) First Watch Nutrition and Allergens page (firstwatch.com) · 2026-10-28
Order flagging Guests are asked to inform their server before placing an order if a person in the party has a food allergy, and may ask that the order be prepared using the chain's allergen handling procedures. First Watch Nutrition and Allergens page (firstwatch.com) · 2026-10-28
Cross-contact statement Gluten-free items are often prepared with shared equipment, including a shared toaster, and cross contact is described as very likely; ingredients containing milk, egg, fish, peanut, sesame, tree nut, shellfish, soy, and wheat are made in the same kitchen, and there is still a risk of cross-contact with shared surfaces and equipment. Highly refined soybean oil is not listed as an allergen, per FDA guidance. First Watch Nutrition and Allergens page (firstwatch.com) · 2026-10-28

Good to know before you book

Questions diners ask about First Watch

Does First Watch publish an allergen menu or matrix?

Yes — First Watch publishes allergen material in web-page form, linked from this page and last checked on 2026-10-28. It addresses 10 of the 10 allergens we track.

Which allergens does First Watch's published material not cover?

It does not address: none — all 10 are addressed. Not addressed means the chain's document is silent on that allergen — not that the allergen is absent from the food.

If First Watch publishes a protocol, does every location follow it the same way?

A chain document is a ceiling, not a location guarantee. Locations vary in staff, equipment and practice, so a location listing on this site carries its own tier and its own last-checked date, and the questions on the visit-prep card are the ones to ask at the location you are visiting.

What does First Watch itself say about cross-contact?

First Watch states that its gluten-free items are often prepared with shared equipment, including a shared toaster, that cross contact is very likely, and that ingredients containing milk, egg, fish, peanut, sesame, tree nut, shellfish, soy, and wheat are made in the same kitchen, with a risk of cross-contact on shared surfaces and equipment.

Source & freshness

Source: First Watch Nutrition and Allergens page (firstwatch.com) · Last checked: 2026-10-28

Report a change or an error — reports are checked and logged on this page.

Change log

Other chains

All 30 chain protocol profiles →

First Watch — visit-prep card (chain level)

Allergen menu documented · Last checked 2026-10-28 · Source: First Watch Nutrition and Allergens page (firstwatch.com)

Chain-level record — practices vary by location. Confirm at your location before ordering.

Phone
(941) 907-9800
Allergen menu
https://firstwatch.com/nutrition-and-allergens

Allergens the chain's material addresses

Gluten, Milk, Egg, Peanut, Tree nut, Fish, Shellfish, Soy, Wheat, Sesame

The chain's cross-contact statement

First Watch states that its gluten-free items are often prepared with shared equipment, including a shared toaster, that cross contact is very likely, and that ingredients containing milk, egg, fish, peanut, sesame, tree nut, shellfish, soy, and wheat are made in the same kitchen, with a risk of cross-contact on shared surfaces and equipment.

Questions to ask at your location

  1. Is the fryer shared with breaded or battered items, and what else is cooked in that oil?
  2. Is there a separate prep area, boards and utensils for allergy orders?
  3. How are staff trained on food allergies, and how often is that training refreshed?
  4. Which parts of the kitchen, if any, are kept free of my allergen?
  5. Does this location follow the chain's published allergen procedure, and who here is trained on it?

ConfidentDiner collects allergen and preparation information from restaurants’ published materials, from restaurants themselves, and from diners. Information is dated and sourced, but menus, ingredients, suppliers, staff, and kitchen practices change without notice, and cross-contact can occur in any non-dedicated kitchen. Nothing on this site is medical advice or a guarantee that any restaurant or dish is safe for any individual. Always tell the restaurant about your allergy, confirm current practices directly before ordering, and make your own decision with your medical professional’s guidance.