Five Guys
Encyclopedia
Five Guys is a fast casual restaurant chain focused on hamburgers, hot dogs, and French fries
. Originating in Arlington, Virginia, the company's headquarters are now in Lorton, Virginia
.
The Five Guys' menu is centered on hamburgers, with some other options.
The hamburgers are divided into a "Regular Burger", which consists of two beef patties, and a "Little Burger" that has only one patty. Both burger sizes are offered with American cheese
, bacon
, or both, all for an additional charge.
The menu also includes kosher-style hot dogs, also available with cheese and bacon. Grilled cheese and vegetable
sandwiches (made from the various toppings) are also available.
Other condiments are available at no additional charge: Mayo
, mustard
, ketchup
, relish
, onion
(grilled or raw), lettuce
, pickle
, tomato
, green pepper, jalapeño
, and grilled mushrooms. Sauces include BBQ
, hot sauce
and A1
.
There is only one menu side item: Fresh-cut French fries
, served boardwalk-style and fried in pure peanut oil
. The French fries come in two sizes, and two varieties: "Five Guys style" (unspiced beyond salt), or "Cajun
style". Most locations also offer free in-the-shell peanut
s.
Five Guys uses buns that are sweeter and eggier than normal buns. Five Guys does not use any timers in the kitchen, following the mantra that "good cooks know when food's done" and they shake the french fries exactly fifteen times.
Some locations also sell breakfast, consisting of egg sandwiches on Five Guys' buns.
A Five Guys restaurant usually has a very simple layout, with red-and-white checkered decorations and one counter for purchasing and picking up food. There are tables and chairs around the restaurants for customers to sit down and eat their food.
The restaurant openly displays its operations through an open kitchen, and bags of potatoes stacked in customer space. The potato stacks originate from a time when the restaurant did not have any other storage space for them.
An interesting feature of most Five Guys restaurants are several cork boards placed on the walls. These cork boards have a stack of notecards and crayons next to them for customers to draw on.
, there are more than 750 locations across 40 states and in the Canadian provinces of Alberta
, Saskatchewan
, British Columbia
, Manitoba
, Ontario
and Quebec
. An additional five stores open every week.
Jerry and Janie had a fifth son two years after opening their first restaurant; all five sons, Matt, Jim, Chad, Ben and Tyler, the current "Five Guys", are now involved in the business. Matt and Jim travel the country visiting stores, Chad oversees training, Ben selects the franchisees, and Tyler runs the bakery. The first location, which no longer exists, was in Arlington, Virginia at the Westmont Shopping Center on Columbia Pike
at Glebe Road
. Buns were baked by Brenner's Bakery of Arlington Inc., which was owned and operated by Gino E. Pellegrino and located in the same shopping center. Brenner's made all the rolls by hand until 2001.
The family opened new locations in Old Town Alexandria and Springfield, Virginia
. By 2001, there were five locations in Northern Virginia
run by the family. The restaurants had gained popularity among locals, and the Murrells decided to franchise the stores. The Murrells began franchising their concept with the help of Fransmart, a franchise sales organization. Former Washington Redskins
kicker
Mark Moseley
, who had gone to work for Fransmart after his football
career, played a key role in the sales of franchises, and went on to become Five Guys' director of franchise development after the Murrells ended their business relationship with Fransmart.
The company shuns national advertising, but sent a T-shirt to President Barack Obama
, which landed one of their stores a visit from the President himself.
In 2010 the company used 123 million pounds (55,791 metric tons) of potatoes and they say they used enough peanut oil
to fill the Jungle Cruise ride stream at Disneyland. The company's growth exploded when in 2002 the five owners started franchising the business.
for seven years.
Since franchising, it has also received awards in other cities, including Amherst, New York
; Redlands, California
; Annapolis, Maryland
; Charlotte, North Carolina
; Richmond, Virginia
; Charlottesville, Virginia
; St. Louis, Missouri
; Houston, Texas
; Austin, Texas
; Johnstown, Pennsylvania
; State College, Pennsylvania
; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
;, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Virginia Beach, Virginia
;Jacksonville, Florida
; Youngstown, Ohio
; Schererville, Indiana
; Tucson, Arizona
; Newburgh, New York and Hampton, Virginia
.
They have a somewhat cult following and notable brand enthusiasm. Five Guys has been rated as one of the most talked about burger brands online.
As Five Guys continues to expand into the West Coast
, comparisons have been made with In-N-Out Burger
, another fast food chain with a cult-like following. The Los Angeles Times
noted that Five Guys's menu items are generally more expensive, they do not have drive-through
s, and are most often found in shopping malls. The newspaper still conceded that by pricing its products higher, offering bigger burgers and building larger dining rooms, Five Guys could capitalize on the recent trend of mid-level places that offer more expensive products than fast food but cheaper than fancy restaurants.
magazine claims that Five Guys' meals are unhealthy. They state that a standard double patty burger, for example, contains 700 calories and 20 grams of saturated fat. Men's Health also rated Five Guys' french fries as some of the most unhealthy food in America, claiming that a standard large order of fries contains almost 1,500 calories. The Center for Science in the Public Interest
placed Five Guys's bacon cheeseburger, claiming that it contains 920 calories, among its 2010 list of most unhealthy meals available at U.S. chain restaurants.
French fries
French fries , chips, fries, or French-fried potatoes are strips of deep-fried potato. North Americans tend to refer to any pieces of deep-fried potatoes as fries or French fries, while in the United Kingdom, Australia, Ireland and New Zealand, long, thinly cut slices of deep-fried potatoes are...
. Originating in Arlington, Virginia, the company's headquarters are now in Lorton, Virginia
Lorton, Virginia
Lorton is a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. The population is 27,709 as of the 2008 census estimate.-History:...
.
Food
The hamburgers are divided into a "Regular Burger", which consists of two beef patties, and a "Little Burger" that has only one patty. Both burger sizes are offered with American cheese
American cheese
American cheese is a processed cheese. It is orange, yellow, or white in color and mild in flavor, with a medium-firm consistency, and melts easily. American cheese was originally only white, but is usually now modified to yellow. In the past it was made from a blend of cheeses, most often Colby...
, bacon
Bacon
Bacon is a cured meat prepared from a pig. It is first cured using large quantities of salt, either in a brine or in a dry packing; the result is fresh bacon . Fresh bacon may then be further dried for weeks or months in cold air, boiled, or smoked. Fresh and dried bacon must be cooked before eating...
, or both, all for an additional charge.
The menu also includes kosher-style hot dogs, also available with cheese and bacon. Grilled cheese and vegetable
Vegetable
The noun vegetable usually means an edible plant or part of a plant other than a sweet fruit or seed. This typically means the leaf, stem, or root of a plant....
sandwiches (made from the various toppings) are also available.
Other condiments are available at no additional charge: Mayo
Mayonnaise
Mayonnaise, , often abbreviated as mayo, is a sauce. It is a stable emulsion of oil, egg yolk and either vinegar or lemon juice, with many options for embellishment with other herbs and spices. Lecithin in the egg yolk is the emulsifier. Mayonnaise varies in color but is often white, cream, or pale...
, mustard
Mustard (condiment)
Mustard is a condiment made from the seeds of a mustard plant...
, ketchup
Ketchup
Ketchup is a sweet-and-tangy condiment typically made from tomatoes, vinegar, sugar or high-fructose corn syrup and an assortment of...
, relish
Relish
A relish is a cooked, pickled, or chopped vegetable or fruit food item which is typically used as a condiment.In North America, relish commonly alludes to sweet pickle relish-like sauce that often condiments hot dogs, hamburgers and other types of fast food.-Description and ingredients:The item...
, onion
Onion
The onion , also known as the bulb onion, common onion and garden onion, is the most widely cultivated species of the genus Allium. The genus Allium also contains a number of other species variously referred to as onions and cultivated for food, such as the Japanese bunching onion The onion...
(grilled or raw), lettuce
Lettuce
Lettuce is a temperate annual or biennial plant of the daisy family Asteraceae. It is most often grown as a leaf vegetable. It is eaten either raw, notably in salads, sandwiches, hamburgers, tacos, and many other dishes, or cooked, as in Chinese cuisine in which the stem becomes just as important...
, pickle
Pickle
Pickling is a process of preserving food. Pickle or pickling may refer to:-Food:* Pickled cucumber* Pickled onion* Pickled herring* Indian pickle includes oil-based food preservation* Branston and similar sweet pickle relishes...
, tomato
Tomato
The word "tomato" may refer to the plant or the edible, typically red, fruit which it bears. Originating in South America, the tomato was spread around the world following the Spanish colonization of the Americas, and its many varieties are now widely grown, often in greenhouses in cooler...
, green pepper, jalapeño
Jalapeño
The jalapeño is a medium-sized chili pepper that has a warm, burning sensation when eaten. A mature jalapeño fruit is 2–3½ inches long and is commonly picked and consumed while still green, but occasionally it is allowed to fully ripen and turn crimson red...
, and grilled mushrooms. Sauces include BBQ
Barbecue sauce
Barbecue sauce is a flavoring sauce or condiment ranging from watery to very thick consistency. As the name implies, it was created as an accompaniment to barbecued foods. While it can be applied to any food, it usually tops meat after cooking or during barbecuing, grilling, or baking...
, hot sauce
Hot sauce
Hot sauce, chili sauce or pepper sauce refers to any spicy sauce made from chili peppers and other ingredients.-Ingredients:There are many recipes for hot sauces - the common ingredient being any kind of peppers. A group of chemicals called capsaicinoids are responsible for the heat in chili peppers...
and A1
A1 Steak Sauce
A1 is a steak sauce and condiment for use with meat or game dishes. It was developed in the United Kingdom as a brand in the year 1831 and was later introduced to the United States by G.F...
.
There is only one menu side item: Fresh-cut French fries
French fries
French fries , chips, fries, or French-fried potatoes are strips of deep-fried potato. North Americans tend to refer to any pieces of deep-fried potatoes as fries or French fries, while in the United Kingdom, Australia, Ireland and New Zealand, long, thinly cut slices of deep-fried potatoes are...
, served boardwalk-style and fried in pure peanut oil
Peanut oil
Peanut oil is an organic material oil derived from peanuts, noted to have the aroma and taste of its parent legume....
. The French fries come in two sizes, and two varieties: "Five Guys style" (unspiced beyond salt), or "Cajun
Cajun cuisine
Cajun cuisine is the style of cooking named for the French-speaking Acadian or "Cajun" immigrants deported by the British from Acadia in Canada to the Acadiana region of Louisiana, USA. It is what could be called a rustic cuisine — locally available ingredients predominate, and preparation...
style". Most locations also offer free in-the-shell peanut
Peanut
The peanut, or groundnut , is a species in the legume or "bean" family , so it is not a nut. The peanut was probably first cultivated in the valleys of Peru. It is an annual herbaceous plant growing tall...
s.
Five Guys uses buns that are sweeter and eggier than normal buns. Five Guys does not use any timers in the kitchen, following the mantra that "good cooks know when food's done" and they shake the french fries exactly fifteen times.
Some locations also sell breakfast, consisting of egg sandwiches on Five Guys' buns.
Restaurants
The restaurant openly displays its operations through an open kitchen, and bags of potatoes stacked in customer space. The potato stacks originate from a time when the restaurant did not have any other storage space for them.
An interesting feature of most Five Guys restaurants are several cork boards placed on the walls. These cork boards have a stack of notecards and crayons next to them for customers to draw on.
, there are more than 750 locations across 40 states and in the Canadian provinces of Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
and Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
. An additional five stores open every week.
History
Five Guys was founded in 1986 by Janie and Jerry Murrell and their four sons (with Jerry and the sons being the original "Five Guys").Jerry and Janie had a fifth son two years after opening their first restaurant; all five sons, Matt, Jim, Chad, Ben and Tyler, the current "Five Guys", are now involved in the business. Matt and Jim travel the country visiting stores, Chad oversees training, Ben selects the franchisees, and Tyler runs the bakery. The first location, which no longer exists, was in Arlington, Virginia at the Westmont Shopping Center on Columbia Pike
Virginia State Route 244
State Route 244, also known as Columbia Pike, is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. It is a four-lane road that runs from State Route 236 in Annandale, Fairfax County east to State Route 27 at the Pentagon in Arlington County.-History:Columbia Pike dates to 1810 when the U.S...
at Glebe Road
Virginia State Route 120
Virginia State Route 120 is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. Known as Glebe Road, the state highway runs from U.S. Route 1 in Crystal City north to SR 123 at the Chain Bridge...
. Buns were baked by Brenner's Bakery of Arlington Inc., which was owned and operated by Gino E. Pellegrino and located in the same shopping center. Brenner's made all the rolls by hand until 2001.
The family opened new locations in Old Town Alexandria and Springfield, Virginia
Springfield, Virginia
Springfield is a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States and a suburb of Washington, D.C. The Springfield CDP is recognized by the U.S. Census Bureau with a population of 30,484 as of the 2010 census. Homes and businesses in bordering CDPs including North Springfield,...
. By 2001, there were five locations in Northern Virginia
Northern Virginia
Northern Virginia consists of several counties and independent cities in the Commonwealth of Virginia, in a widespread region generally radiating southerly and westward from Washington, D.C...
run by the family. The restaurants had gained popularity among locals, and the Murrells decided to franchise the stores. The Murrells began franchising their concept with the help of Fransmart, a franchise sales organization. Former Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
kicker
Placekicker
Placekicker, or simply kicker , is the title of the player in American and Canadian football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals, extra points...
Mark Moseley
Mark Moseley
Mark DeWayne Moseley is a former professional American football placekicker in the National Football League who played for the Philadelphia Eagles , the Houston Oilers , the Washington Redskins , and the Cleveland Browns . He won the Most Valuable Player Award during the strike-shortened 1982 season...
, who had gone to work for Fransmart after his football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
career, played a key role in the sales of franchises, and went on to become Five Guys' director of franchise development after the Murrells ended their business relationship with Fransmart.
The company shuns national advertising, but sent a T-shirt to President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
, which landed one of their stores a visit from the President himself.
In 2010 the company used 123 million pounds (55,791 metric tons) of potatoes and they say they used enough peanut oil
Peanut oil
Peanut oil is an organic material oil derived from peanuts, noted to have the aroma and taste of its parent legume....
to fill the Jungle Cruise ride stream at Disneyland. The company's growth exploded when in 2002 the five owners started franchising the business.
Reception
Five Guys has received numerous awards in D.C. area publications, including "Number 1 Burger" by Washingtonian MagazineWashingtonian (magazine)
Washingtonian is a monthly magazine distributed in the Washington, DC area since 1965. The magazine describes itself as "the magazine Washington lives by." The magazine's core focuses are local feature journalism, guide book-style articles, and real estate advice.-Editorial Content:Washingtonian...
for seven years.
Since franchising, it has also received awards in other cities, including Amherst, New York
Amherst, New York
Amherst is a town in Erie County, New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town had a total population of 122,366. This represents an increase of 5.0% from the 2000 census. The town is named for Jeffrey Amherst, a British Army officer of the colonial period...
; Redlands, California
Redlands, California
Redlands is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 68,747, up from 63,591 at the 2000 census. The city is located east of downtown San Bernardino.- History :...
; Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland, as well as the county seat of Anne Arundel County. It had a population of 38,394 at the 2010 census and is situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east of Washington, D.C. Annapolis is...
; Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
; Richmond, Virginia
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
; Charlottesville, Virginia
Charlottesville, Virginia
Charlottesville is an independent city geographically surrounded by but separate from Albemarle County in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States, and named after Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the queen consort of King George III of the United Kingdom.The official population estimate for...
; St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
; Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
; Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
; Johnstown, Pennsylvania
Johnstown, Pennsylvania
Johnstown is a city in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, United States, west-southwest of Altoona, Pennsylvania and east of Pittsburgh. The population was 20,978 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Cambria County...
; State College, Pennsylvania
State College, Pennsylvania
State College is the largest borough in Centre County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It is the principal city of the State College, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Centre County. As of the 2010 census, the borough population was 42,034, and roughly double...
; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
;, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Virginia Beach, Virginia
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Virginia Beach is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia, on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay...
;Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
; Youngstown, Ohio
Youngstown, Ohio
Youngstown is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Mahoning County; it also extends into Trumbull County. The municipality is situated on the Mahoning River, approximately southeast of Cleveland and northwest of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
; Schererville, Indiana
Schererville, Indiana
Schererville is a town in St. John Township, Lake County, Indiana, United States. It is part of the Chicago metropolitan area. The population was 29,243 at the 2010 census.- History :...
; Tucson, Arizona
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
; Newburgh, New York and Hampton, Virginia
Hampton, Virginia
Hampton is an independent city that is not part of any county in Southeast Virginia. Its population is 137,436. As one of the seven major cities that compose the Hampton Roads metropolitan area, it is on the southeastern end of the Virginia Peninsula. Located on the Hampton Roads Beltway, it hosts...
.
They have a somewhat cult following and notable brand enthusiasm. Five Guys has been rated as one of the most talked about burger brands online.
As Five Guys continues to expand into the West Coast
West Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
, comparisons have been made with In-N-Out Burger
In-N-Out Burger
In-N-Out Burger is a regional chain of fast food restaurants with locations in the western United States. Founded in 1948 by Harry Snyder and his wife Esther, establishing the first In-N-Out burger in Baldwin Park and headquartered in Irvine, California, In-N-Out Burger has since expanded outside...
, another fast food chain with a cult-like following. The Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
noted that Five Guys's menu items are generally more expensive, they do not have drive-through
Drive-through
A drive-through, or drive-thru, is a type of service provided by a business that allows customers to purchase products without leaving their cars. The format was first pioneered in the United States in the 1930s but has since spread to other countries. The first recorded use of a bank using a drive...
s, and are most often found in shopping malls. The newspaper still conceded that by pricing its products higher, offering bigger burgers and building larger dining rooms, Five Guys could capitalize on the recent trend of mid-level places that offer more expensive products than fast food but cheaper than fancy restaurants.
Criticism
Men's HealthMen's Health (magazine)
Men's Health , published by Rodale Inc. in Emmaus, Pennsylvania, United States, is the world’s largest men’s magazine brand, with 44 editions around the world. It is also the best-selling men's magazine on U.S. newsstands. It covers fitness, nutrition, sexuality, lifestyle and other aspects of...
magazine claims that Five Guys' meals are unhealthy. They state that a standard double patty burger, for example, contains 700 calories and 20 grams of saturated fat. Men's Health also rated Five Guys' french fries as some of the most unhealthy food in America, claiming that a standard large order of fries contains almost 1,500 calories. The Center for Science in the Public Interest
Center for Science in the Public Interest
Center for Science in the Public Interest is a Washington, D.C.-based non-profit watchdog and consumer advocacy group focusing on nutritional education and awareness.-History and funding:...
placed Five Guys's bacon cheeseburger, claiming that it contains 920 calories, among its 2010 list of most unhealthy meals available at U.S. chain restaurants.
External links
- http://www.fiveguys.com/ — Official web site