First Watch Restaurants, Inc. Eyes Growth, Names Regional Vice Presidents

Rod Hennig was promoted to regional vice president - Kansas and Missouri, David Lynch was promoted to regional vice president of Florida and Paul Pendery was promoted to regional vice president of Ohio, Kentucky and California for the Bradenton-based First Watch Restaurants, specializing in breakfast, brunch and lunch.

BRADENTON, Fla., (PRWEB) October 6, 2005 -- The breakfast, brunch, lunch eatery, First Watch Restaurants, Inc., has promoted three operations directors to regional vice presidents as the company beefs up its management team.

Receiving promotions are Rod Hennig, now regional vice president – Kansas and Missouri; David Lynch, regional vice president – Florida; and Paul Pendery, regional vice president – Ohio, Kentucky and California. With profit and loss responsibilities, regional vice presidents recruit and develop management staff and have operational oversight for the restaurants in their territories.

“The regional vice president is a newly created position to support our accelerated growth,” said First Watch President and CEO Ken Pendery. “These individuals have clearly demonstrated the leadership skills, knowledge and the passion to execute our concept.”

Hennig has 26 years experience in the restaurant industry, joining First Watch in 1989. Most recently, he was director of First Watch operations in Kansas City/St. Louis for five years. He previously served as regional manager in Kansas City. Hennig holds a bachelor’s degree in hotel and restaurant management from the University of Wisconsin - Stout.

Lynch, who joined First Watch in 1995, has 30 years of restaurant experience. Before moving to Florida, he was the operations director over the Columbus, Ohio and St. Louis, Mo. territories. He previously served as regional manager in Columbus and helped develop the market for First Watch. Lynch, who holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Minnesota, had also previously been a general manager of several First Watch restaurants.

Pendery joined First Watch in 1991. During the past five years, he served as director of operations for First Watch restaurants in Ohio, Kentucky and California. Previously, Pendery was a regional manager in Ohio and helped pioneer the Cincinnati and Columbus markets for First Watch. Pendery holds a degree in marketing from Indiana University in Bloomington.

Based in Bradenton, Fla., First Watch specializes in daytime dining with unique breakfast, brunch and lunch creations. The restaurants are open from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily except Thanksgiving and Christmas. Currently, First Watch has restaurants in Arizona, California, Kansas, Florida, Ohio, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Missouri, and West Virginia. For more information, go to www.firstwatch.com. First Watch has 53 restaurants and plans to open an additional 20 by the end of 2006. The company is continuing to expand in Florida, where it just opened a restaurant in Bonita Springs and plans to open another in Bradenton later this fall. First Watch will also open two more restaurants in Kentucky and Ohio within the next six months.

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