Five Guys History

Five Guys has always been around the Washington DC area, and has been a favorite since 1986. That is when Jerry and Janie Murrell told the 4 young Murrel brothers to either “Go to College, or start a business.” They all decided to take the business rout, and they then opened up a carry out burger joint located in Arlington, Virginia. With the close guidance of Jerry and Janie, the Murrell family made sure to only serve the best quality, hand formed burgers, which were then cooked to perfection on a grill. These went along with fresh-cut fries that were cooked in peanut oil. The small time burger joint quickly gained popularity, and even developed a small following. The burger place soon caught the attention of local press, and soon the burgers were voted #1 in the metro area.

In the following years leading into the late 80’s and 90’s, the Murrell family worked hard to perfect their simple burger system. Five Guys soon became the place to go if you wanted to get a fresh, juicy burger, allowing you to add all the toppings you could possibly fit between the two fresh baked buns. Soon a fifth brother was born, and the family began to grow, as did the business. They soon added 4 more restaurants that offered a sit down seating to accommodate the growing clients. In early 2003 Jerry and Janie, together with the “Five Guys” began to offer out franchise opportunities. Then in just under 18 months, the Five Guys enterprise was able to sell for just over 300 units. With thew new found overwhelming success, the Five Guys restaurants began to make national news, including articles in trade publications such as Nations Restaurant News, Restaurant Business Magazine, and The Franchise Times.

Today, over 20 years after the very first Five Guys opened, there are over 1,000 locations all over the country, along with 1,500 units in development. Today Five Guys still upholds the highest quality burgers, they offer endless possible burger combinations, and there is no such thing as a impossible burger! You can use a single patty or stack it all the way up to three! Five Guys has grown a strong following with great support from the community, and is a favorite among many.

FIVE GUYS TIMELINE

1986: The first Five Guys location opens in Arlington, VA.

1986 – 2001: Five Guys opens five locations around the DC metro-area and perfected their business of making burgers… and starts to build a cult-like following.

2002: Five Guys decides DC metro-area residents shouldn’t be the only ones to experience their burgers and start to franchise in Virginia and Maryland.

2003: Five Guys sells out of franchise territory within 18 months and starts to open the rest of the country for franchise rights.

2003 – Present: Five Guys expands to over 1,000 locations in 47 states and 6 Canadian provinces.

• There are over 250,000 possible ways to order a burger at Five Guys.
• We use only fresh ground beef.
• There are no freezers in Five Guys locations, just coolers. Nothing is ever frozen.
• We use only Peanut oil.