Five Guys
The Murrell family opened the first Five Guys for less than $70,000. At that time, there was no parking or place for customers to sit and eat, and it was in the middle of nowhere.
In 1986, Jerry Murrell and his wife Janie opened a tiny burger eatery in Arlington, Virginia, at the intersection of S. Glebe Road and Columbia Pike in the Westmont Shopping Center. Today, Five Guys Burgers & Fries is a well-known fast-food chain with over 1,500 locations worldwide and generates nearly a billion dollars in revenue.
The Murrell family opened the first Five Guys for less than $70,000. At that time, there was no parking or place for customers to sit and eat, and it was in the middle of nowhere. The "five guys" initially referred to Murrell and his four sons, Jim, Matt, Chad, and Ben. Jim, Matt, and Chad worked in the restaurant, performing various tasks such as cooking and cleaning the bathrooms. Janie was responsible for keeping the books. Tyler, their fifth son, was born in 1987; from then on, the "five guys" referred to Murrell's sons.
Five Guys started when Jerry and Janie offered their three teenage sons a choice: "Start a business or go to college." The business route won. Under the guidance of Jerry and Janie, the brothers served only hand-formed burgers cooked to perfection on a grill, along with fresh-cut fries cooked in pure peanut oil. Five Guys quickly developed a cult-like following, and the media paid attention. Customers voted the burger "#1" in the metro area.
During the 1980s and 1990s, the Murrell family perfected the Five Guys process, gradually building on its simple ethos of great food and great service. They became The Place to get a juicy burger with all the toppings you could stuff between fresh-baked buns. Four more restaurants with sit-down seating were added to accommodate the growing clientele. While expanding, Murrell insisted on keeping the menu simple: just burgers and fries. The burgers were always handmade and never frozen.
In 2003, Jerry and Janie and the “Five Guys” began offering franchise opportunities. In just under 18 months, Five Guys Enterprises sold options for more than 300 units. The overwhelming success of franchising a local restaurant made national news, with articles in trade publications such as Nation’s Restaurant News, Restaurant Business Magazine, and the Franchise Times.
Almost 40 years after Five Guys first opened, there are nearly 1,700 locations worldwide and another 1,500 units in development. Five Guys continues to receive positive media attention and has grown a worldwide following.
Five Guys Facts:
They only use fresh ground beef.
They only use peanut oil.
There are no freezers in Five Guys locations, just coolers.
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