First Watch CEO Chris Tomasso on inspiring culture and leadership among your team

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Chris Tomasso, CEO of First Watch, a daytime café concept with more than 600 locations doing over a billion dollars in sales annually. Chris is coming up on his 20-year anniversary with the brand, having started as CMO back in 2006 and helping late cofounder Ken Pendery build First Watch into a powerhouse over the course of two decades. Chris has become known for his accessibility as a leader; he hand-writes notes to all employees celebrating milestones and eats his lunch in the company break room just like everyone else. But Chris doesn’t think these qualities should be so rare for a CEO; he understands that the actions of a leader resonate throughout a system and ultimately help it succeed as a business. Sam sat down with Chris in a Tampa First Watch location for the latest episode of the Signature Series — powered by the Coca-Cola Company — to learn more about how this shy kid with a journalism degree ultimately became one of the restaurant industry’s most inspiring leaders

In this conversation, you’ll find out why:

1. Good leadership resonates further than you think
2. You either grow with your company or you don’t
3. People perform better when they’re not intimidated
4. To develop culture, leaders must be aware of everything they say and do
5. Restaurants must avoid “short-termism,” even when it feels like the only option
6. Careers are like pinballs and you can’t predict where you’ll end up

Have feedback or ideas for Take-Away? Email Sam at [email protected].