After graduating at the top of his class from Johnson & Wales in 2005, Shane Schaibly worked in fine dining for brands like The Ritz-Carlton, South Beach and Tampa’s Café Ponte. He joined Front Burner Brands concept The Melting Pot in 2007, where he helped the company set the Guinness World Record for World’s Largest Cheese Fondue Set while working as manager of culinary development before serving as the restaurant’s director of food and beverage and ultimately corporate chef for the Front Burner Brands restaurant group, where he developed menu items and opened restaurants around the world.
Since joining First Watch, he has shifted his focus from fine dining to breakfast, brunch and lunch. During his tenure with First Watch, Shane has strategically overhauled the brand’s culinary approach, beginning with the rollout of an industry-leading Fresh Juice platform. Using the juice program as a foundation, he curated a new Crafted Cocktail platform, strategically introducing alcohol to more than 250 First Watch restaurants for the first time in the company’s over 35-year history. Shane also spearheaded the brand’s seasonal menu program, introducing five seasonal menus throughout each year utilizing on-trend, seasonal ingredients and recipes that continue to elevate the brunch experience and differentiate First Watch from industry competitors. In 2014, Shane was honored on FSR Magazine’s 40 Under 40 list for his culinary accomplishments, and in 2021, he was honored on Nation’s Restaurant News’ Chef Power List.