First Watch, a popular brunch restaurant chain, already sets itself apart from other restaurants with its commitment to quality and sourcing high-end ingredients that give meals a fresher taste. But what really makes this breakfast chain stand out is Project Sunrise, a coffee partnership that tells a story of people and passion, focused on partnering with women coffee growers. Project Sunrise tells the complete story from the harvest, done by talented women farmers, to processing for shipment to arrive in the U.S.
From bean to boat to in your coffee cup at breakfast at First Watch, every cup of Project Sunrise coffee reflects the journey of countless hands and hearts. Below, Shane Schaibly, Senior Vice President of Culinary Strategy, and Lilah Taha-Rippett, Senior Vice President of Supply Chain, fill us in on how First Watch has redefined breakfast coffee with this women-grown bean partnership.
What is Project Sunrise?
“Project Sunrise was born from a simple idea that aligns with First Watch’s mission: serve an excellent coffee while making a positive impact,” says Taha-Rippett. The program, which was crafted from the ground up in 2017, is First Watch’s single-origin initiative, built around direct relationships with women who grow coffee in Huila, Colombia.
“As we explored how to make this a reality, we learned about an opportunity to partner directly with women coffee growers in Colombia. We chose Colombia-grown coffee for its exceptional flavor profile and because it allowed us to build something truly unique in our industry. No one was doing or had done this.”
Making an impact
“We went straight to the source and built direct relationships with the women behind the coffee. Project Sunrise is the result: a single-origin coffee that tells a story and carries intentional impact,” says Schaibly. By sourcing beans from women farmers and returning a premium to them, First Watch goes beyond making an incredible product — they make an impact. What started as a small initiative has grown exponentially over the past eight years. allowing First Watch to give women growers more visibility, more opportunity, and a stronger voice in an industry that has long been male-dominated.
Farm to cupping process
From the beginning, each single coffee cherry is hand-picked at the point of perfect ripeness, undergoing several steps until it is dried and sorted. Once dried and sorted into 70-kilogram bags (about 154 lbs), the bags are trucked to the port for shipping, which can take between three and four days.
“The burlap bags travel by sea all the way from Colombia to the U.S. From there, the beans are transported to a facility in Birmingham, Alabama, where they are roasted to our Project Sunrise specifications before being delivered straight to our restaurants,” Schaibly says. The process, however, isn’t as simple as sourcing coffee for First Watch. Instead, Project Sunrise focuses on building relationships in shared values, co-developing a process alongside growers that is founded on mutual respect while meeting quality standards.
“All Project Sunrise coffee is graded for defects, including size and color – much like diamonds – so only the best beans make it through. That quality control continues at each stage, from the bodegas in Colombia to the ports in the U.S. By combining traditional farming practices with these standards, we’re able to deliver a premium product while preserving the legacy of the women who grow it,” Taha-Rippett shares.
How the coffee pairs with the menu
“First Watch is known for its modern take on breakfast and brunch classics. All our dishes are made to order using fresh ingredients in a kitchen without heat lamps, microwaves, or deep fryers. Quality and freshness are important to us – and that comes through in both our menu and our approach to coffee,” says Schaibly.
With this in mind, the bright, sweet, and well-balanced flavor of coffee from Huila pairs perfectly with First Watch’s meals, complementing both sweet and savory menu items. For the customer dining at First Watch, the company hopes each guest tastes a crisp, memorable cup of coffee that allows them to feel connected to where it came from. “We want that sip to spark curiosity about origin and the people behind the cup, and to create a moment where quality and purpose sit in the same mug. Ultimately, we want them to feel as proud as we do,” Schaibly says.
