DEAL OF THE WEEK
Mac Haik Enterprises brings restaurant chain to area
First Watch, a breakfast, brunch and lunch restaurant, has opened the first of several planned locations in the Houston market.
The 3,600-square-foot restaurant, which serves dishes made with organic vegetables and cage-free eggs, opened in Price Plaza at 20220 Katy Freeway near Fry Road in Katy. The restaurant is the second of 18 locations targeted to open in southeast Texas and southwest Louisiana over the next seven years.
If the First Watch name is not familiar to Texans, the person behind its expansion here probably is.
Mac Haik Enterprises, a group of companies founded by former Houston Oilers wide receiver Mac Haik, opened the first First Watch location in Texas in BryanCollege Station in June. Its other ventures include auto dealerships, real estate development and management across the office, medical office, hotel and retail sectors, and outdoor advertising.
Mac Haik Enterprises was previously a stakeholder and the largest franchisee for the Egg & I, which was purchased by First Watch in 2015. It is also a major partner in the First Watch corporate franchisor entity.
The table-service restaurant will be open 7 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. daily. Menuitems typically cost $9 to $12.
“You can get a freshmade meal here that’s done in-house,” said Dan Anfinson, chief operating officer for the Mac Haik Enterprises restaurants. “You can do that in 30 minutes or less.”
The expansion will initially focus on Houston, where about five locations are projected to open next year. The company is looking for sites just under 4,000 square feet near residences, offices and retailers. Ron Marshall, vice president of Mac Haik Realty, is managing site selection, leasing and construction.
First Watch got its start 33 years ago in Pacific Grove, Calif., and is now headquartered near Sarasota, Fla. It has 190 locations. katherine.feser@chron.com twitter.com/kfeser