Brandwave

First Watch vs The Original Pancake House:Which is more popular?

In September 2026, First Watch had more branded searches than The Original Pancake House among breakfast chains in the United States. First Watch had about 3.4 million branded searches, while The Original Pancake House had 165,000. First Watch made up 22.8% of all breakfast chain searches we track, and The Original Pancake House accounted for 1.1%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about breakfast chains, First Watch and The Original Pancake House each appeared in two of the three answers. First Watch was mentioned before The Original Pancake House in two out of three answers.

Among breakfast chains in the United States in September 2026

Who do people search for more?

First Watch, about 20 searches for every 1 for The Original Pancake House

First Watch 3.4M searchesThe Original Pancake House 165K searches

Who does AI mention more?

Both were mentioned in 2 of 3 answers.

First Watch in 2 of 3The Original Pancake House in 2 of 3

Who does AI recommend more?

First Watch, named ahead of The Original Pancake House in 2 of 3 answers

First Watch first in 2The Original Pancake House first in 1

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Top breakfast chains in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions, First Watch and The Original Pancake House were each mentioned in two out of three: in two of the three ChatGPT answers. First Watch was listed before The Original Pancake House in two out of three answers.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. Cracker Barrel1st
  2. First Watch2nd
  3. IHOP3rd
  4. Waffle House4th
  5. The Original Pancake House5th
  6. Denny's6th
  7. Bob Evans7th

Mentioned by AI

Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.

See every answer about breakfast chains

3 answers

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United States on October 22, 2026.

Is First Watch or The Original Pancake House more popular in search?

This chart shows how often people search Google for First Watch and The Original Pancake House by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all seven breakfast chains we track, month by month, from searches in United States.

First Watch and The Original Pancake House among breakfast chains in the United States, by month

Share of searches by month for First Watch, The Original Pancake House. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthIHOPFirst WatchWaffle HouseCracker BarrelDenny'sBob EvansThe Original Pancake House
Oct 202524.4%16.3%19.9%13.3%19.9%4.9%1.2%
Nov 202527.1%14.9%18.2%14.9%18.2%5.4%1.3%
Dec 202527%14.8%22.1%12.1%18.1%4.5%1.3%
Jan 202625.2%16.9%20.6%11.3%20.6%4.1%1.2%
Feb 202627.5%18.4%18.4%12.3%18.4%3.7%1.3%
Mar 202630%20.1%20.1%11%13.5%4%1.2%
Apr 202627.8%22.8%22.8%12.4%8.3%4.6%1.4%
May 202626.4%26.4%21.6%11.8%7.9%4.3%1.6%
Jun 202627.8%22.8%22.8%12.4%8.3%4.6%1.4%
Jul 202627.8%22.8%22.8%12.4%8.3%4.6%1.4%
Aug 202627.8%22.8%22.8%12.4%8.3%4.6%1.4%
Sep 202627.9%22.8%22.8%12.5%8.3%4.6%1.1%

How has the First Watch and The Original Pancake House comparison changed over the last 12 months?

3 findings

How did search popularity change for United States breakfast chains in September 2026?

2 changes

  1. Estimated monthly branded searches for First Watch in the United States rose 22.3% over 12 measured months, from 2.7M to 3.4M in September 2026.

  2. Estimated monthly branded searches for The Original Pancake House in the United States fell 17.9% over 12 measured months, from 201K to 165K in September 2026.

How are branded searches counted?

2 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using First Watch’s and The Original Pancake House’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.

First Watch

1 branded search term

  • first watch

The Original Pancake House

1 branded search term

  • original pancake house

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Other head-to-heads among breakfast chains

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