By Raymond G. Hebert, PhD
Special to NKyTribune
Part 2 of an occasional series about Casual & Fine Dining
Kenneth Lee Pendery was an innovative business entrepreneur, who founded the First Watch Restaurant chain. A Fort Thomas native, he attended Highlands High School and Indiana University, after which he “fell in love with the restaurant industry.”
He started working with Cork and Cleaver restaurant group where he met his future wife, Jenny. They were married for 43 years. Locally, Ken was also known as the founder of the National Exemplar, a long-standing and popular restaurant (40+ years) inside the Mariemont Inn (Kenneth Lee Pendery Jr. Obituary, March 27, 2024, Cincinnati.com The Enquirer).
After the National Exemplar, Ken founded a restaurant called “First Watch” with his business partner, John Sullivan. Their first location was in Pacific Grove, California ,in 1983, and in 1986, a second unit opened in Sarasota, Florida. Both partners, veterans of the restaurant business, saw a need for addressing some opportunities: 1) for a casual gathering spot where guests could enjoy meals from the freshest ingredients available; 2) the desire for employees to “have a better quality of life.” Since the grueling hours of the restaurant industry drove out many good people, Pendery and Sullivan respected the value of employee family time by adopting a “breakfast, brunch and lunch format, opening at 7 a.m. and closing at 2:30 p.m.”
The result was what they referred to it as the “Casual Café.”
The name “First Watch” in the nautical world means the “very first shift of the day,” proclaimed by those involved as the “best shift of the day” (First Watch Corporation. March 5, 2024 – First Watch Co-Founder, Longtime CEO and Former Chairman Ken Pendery Passes Away at 70).
Along the way, the company highlighted four admirable foundational pillars: 1) a commitment to operational excellence; 2) a “You First” culture; 3) a culinary mission centered around a fresh, innovative menu that is continuously evolving; and 4) a “just be kind” vision, which was an important component for Ken Pendery (First Watch website).
Special features that have become popular in their restaurants around the country have been common beliefs in putting people first in all that it does (with care, openness and intention). The assumption is — that if employees are put first — then they will, in turn, put customers first. Also important was a focus on developing those hired with a strong sense of purpose and teamwork (such as being open to helping each other) and selecting sites for new restaurants that will “nurture potential, recognize kindness and foster opportunities that let people know they matter because they do” (First Watch website).
The website also proudly shared that a recent 2020 survey showed them to be the “second most trusted restaurant brand in America,” important especially now since their chain includes over 400 restaurants in 29 states.
The appreciation for the culture, meanwhile, has resulted in their being ranked among the “100 Most Loved Workplaces” by Newsweek and the Best Practice Institute (1 of only 4 restaurants on the list). In commenting on the recognition, the First Watch administration sees it as a reflection of the “incredible grit and grace our teams bring to the table every day.” “Day to day, dish to dish” has proven to be a worthy goal in the tradition of co-founder Ken Pendery.
Back to Ken Pendery and his Cincinnati links — First Watch opened its first area restaurant in the Harrison Greene development in Green Township. At the time, he and his wife were spending their time between two homes, one in Sarasota, Florida (the corporate headquarters) and one in Mount Adams. In his leadership days, Ken had been asked about the possible opening of other franchises locally but apparently, seeing himself as a Cincinnatian, wanted to keep those possibilities to himself.
What he loved about the Green Township location, for example, was that it was “a really warm breakfast spot . . . in a fantastic neighborhood [adding], we feel like we have become part of the neighborhood” (Emilie Eaton, “First Watch opens First Location on West Side,” June 19, 2015, Cincinnati.com The Enquirer). Meanwhile, the company headquarters is now listed as in Bradenton, Florida (near Sarasota). The CEO is Christopher Tomasso (https://restaurantleadership.com).
Another local connection involved the possibility, according to Gary Holland of the Holland Rosen Group, LLC, for Kentucky franchises, particularly in the Lexington and Louisville markets. According to franchising.com, the projection for the state was “for eight restaurants throughout Lexington and Louisville. Business partners, Gary Holland and Ron Rosen, founders of Holland Rosen Group, LLC said at the time: “We are excited about taking this wonderful restaurant concept to Lexington and Louisville, and our friends who eat at First Watch in Northern Kentucky are thrilled that we are coming to their area.” He added that “our restaurant group has been fortunate to partner with top notch franchises and First Watch is no exception. We are thoroughly impressed with the operations team, and the integrity of founder Ken Pendery and his executive team” (“First Watch to Continue Growth in Kentucky,” Franchising.com, December 5, 2011).
Several First Watch restaurants have been opened to date in central Kentucky with others on the way, but the partnership has prevailed in the tradition of Ken Pendery.
Franchising.com cited “over 200 ‘Best of’ accolades in markets across the country” in an impressive commentary on the concept, while also reflecting on Ken Pendery and his philosophy of “just being kind” to others.
Ken was a talented businessman with over 330 restaurants by 2018 (and over 450 today) after three equity buyouts in 2004, 2011, and 2017 and two significant acquisitions in 2014 (“The Good Egg”) and 2015 (“The Egg and I”).
Sadly, Kenneth Lee Pendery of Sarasota, Florida passed away on March 4, 2024, at 70 years old, having battled multiple system atrophy for many years. Above and beyond his business acumen, he “left behind many testaments to a life well lived: a tight-knit family, a successful company and wonderful friendships. Ken lived his life with integrity, purpose, and extreme thoughtfulness toward his family, friends and work” (Kenneth Lee Pendery Obituary).
All of that is reflected in the culture of the “First Watch” restaurant chain.
Dr. Raymond G. Hebert is Professor of History and Executive Director of the William T. Robinson III Institute for Religious Liberty at Thomas More University. He is the leading author of Thomas More University at 100: Purpose, People, and Pathways to Student Success (2023). The book can be purchased by contacting the Thomas More University Bookstore at 859-344-3335. Dr. Hebert can be contacted at hebertr@thomasmore.edu.
Paul A. Tenkotte, PhD is Editor of the “Our Rich History” weekly series and Professor of History and Gender Studies at Northern Kentucky University (NKU). He can be contacted at tenkottep@nku.edu. Tenkotte also serves as Co-Director of the ORVILLE Project (Ohio River Valley Innovation Library and Learning Enrichment). For more information see https://orvillelearning.org/