Breakfast-obsessed restaurant cracks open locations around Dallas

Daytime restaurant specialist First Watch is the latest breakfast-centric concept to colonize Dallas. In mid-July, the Florida-based chain is hitting Dallas’ suburbs, with openings in Plano and Richardson, and up to a dozen more coming down the road.

The first two branches will take over what are currently Egg & I restaurants, at 3131 Custer Rd. in Plano and 930 E. Campbell Rd. in Richardson.

Egg & I has two franchisees in the Dallas area. Other branches of Egg & I set to become First Watch include North Richland Hills, Frisco, Flower Mound, and Fort Worth.

These branches are being opened by KBP Cafes, a division of Kansas City-based KBP Foods, who see First Watch as embodying a new wave of restaurants that are open only during the daytime, with a fresh approach to breakfast, brunch, and lunch.

First Watch serves its entire menu every day, from 7 am to 2:30 pm. It ranges from traditional favorites, such as omelets, pancakes, sandwiches, and salads, to unique specialty items like the Chickichanga and fruit crepes. It also has avocado toasts; avocado toast is a trend. In 2014, its quinoa power bowl won an award for best healthful innovation. The restaurant also offers complimentary newspapers and free Wi-Fi.

First Watch operates more than 280 restaurants in 26 states, including more than 165 First Watch restaurants, 100 The Egg & I restaurants, 4 The Good Egg restaurants, and one Bread & Company restaurant in Nashville (with another one under construction).

Breakfast-obsessed chains coming to Dallas are definitely a growing thing. Other recent entries to North Texas include Yolk, which has opened branches in both downtown Dallas and downtown Fort Worth, with another set to open in Preston Center (in the former LYFE Kitchen space); and Hash House A Go Go, which debuted in Plano in the spring and is also open for dinner as well as breakfast and lunch.