Free peanuts, free toppings, and massive fry portions.
There’s a lot to love about Five Guys, but is the company really as good as it makes
itself out to be?
You won’t believe the things Five Guys has tried to make us believe.
Perhaps Jerry Murrell should have thought twice before naming his restaurant after the
number of people in his family business who happen to have a Y chromosome in their genetic
makeup.
Why?
Because families change and grow.
Five Guys used to represent Murrell and his four sons: Jim, Matt, Chad, and Ben.
The name suited the growing restaurant quite well, or at least it did until little Tyler
showed up.
His appearance turned the five guys into six.
"Running a business with your family is… got tremendous advantages if they all get
into it."
Could Five Guys really change their name to Six Guys Burgers and Fries?
If they did, it would be like Burger King switching over to Burger Prince or Habit Burger
Grill becoming Hamburger Choices.
Six Guys arguably wouldn't garner as much attention as the more catchy "Five Guys Burgers
and Fries."
At any rate, Murrell can claim that it's all about his five sons now, even if that's not
what he initially meant.
If you're an adventurous Five Guys fan and you're in-the-know thanks to some savvy Googling,
then you, too, can be one of the special few to take advantage of the burger joint's secret
menu.
Wait — secret menu?
Really?
Yep, like so many other fast food chains, Five Guys has one, and you're really missing
out if you're not investigating this side of the foodie world.
You could turn regular fries into nacho-style fries, for one.
If you're a vegetarian, they can do a riff on an old fashioned BLT, but instead of bacon,
just ask employees to use grilled mushrooms instead.
With the Five Guys secret menu, the possibilities are nearly endless.
Cheers to that!
Now, it's sort of true that Five Guys does not advertise, but it's not that they don't
have the funding for it.
Instead, it's more that they want to stay true to their roots and let the food and experience
do the talking.
"I would like to buy a hamburger."
"I would like to buy uh am-bair-gair."
In an interview with Retail & Hospitality Hub, Five Guys senior director of global logistics
Jason Lee confirms the chain's refusal to engage in standard advertising.
He said:
"We don't do any advertising, promotions, limited-time offers or traditional marketing.
We have total faith that the product markets itself."
However, many argue that this is itself a form of advertising.
One former employee on Quora takes it a step further by divulging the following ad strategy
implemented by Five Guys: that greasy brown paper bag.
They said:
"A big thing to Five Guys was word of mouth advertisement.
Paper bags are a big part of word of mouth advertising."
That greasy, brown paper bag sans logo is meant to set Five Guys apart from other fast-casual
dining establishments.
One employee wrote:
"One of the most fascinating things I ever learned about Five Guys was their advertising
techniques.
They also don't use a bag with their logo on it because they feel like they don't have
to."
Isn't it sweet that Five Guys is so invested in curbing your hunger?
While you're forced to wait the practically unbearable stretch of 10 minutes as your order
is being prepared, you can at least snack on handy bins of peanuts, though you'll have
to shell them yourself.
It seems like they've thought of everything.
But are these complementary legumes really just because Five Guys is worried you might
experience tummy grumbles?
Maybe.
But according to a former employee who spilled the peanuts on Reddit, those treats are actually
meant for the comfort of the employees.
No one likes a nosey Nancy staring them down while they're trying to properly prepare fast
food.
But if looky-loo customers are distracted by the free snacks all around them, employees
can hopefully work in peace.
"What you like to eat in there?"
"Well.
The french fries are pretty good."
If you're a fry lover, chances are you've been to Five Guys.
That's because the portions of fried potatoes they give you are notoriously ginormous.
It's more like a pile of fries, and not a single-sized serving.
Instead, those fries routinely spill out of their serving cups, creating that signature
greasy bag.
So, the following information might crush your french-fry loving heart, but Five Guys
workers have spilled the real truth: the larger-than-life fry count is actually just an illusion.
According to a former employee writing on Reddit, those who are in charge of the fry
station are instructed to overfill the fries on purpose.
This "topper" method means that you see a bunch of fries going into the bag and spilling
out of the serving cup, but it's hardly breaking the bank for Five Guys, as noted by PopSugar.
In short, the cup is just a gimmick to make it look like you're getting more bang for
your buck.
Yes, it's still a lot of fries — but not nearly as much as you think.
Nothing in life is free.
Neither are fast food toppings, even at Five Guys.
Restaurant owners go to great lengths to calculate the cost of food, labor, and other important
factors when operating a dining establishment.
It's worth remembering that condiments, in general, aren't too expensive, though they
could seemingly break the bank at Five Guys.
That's because the chain is dedicated to using premium ingredients like fresh burger meat,
according to Insider.
But "free" still isn't exactly right when we're talking about Five Guys toppings.
That's because things like those apparent freebies are calculated into the overall price
of the food.
They're just labeled "free" because it sounds good.
People like a good deal, it makes customers feel special, and it all comes off as a clever
marketing tactic.
This is also one of the reasons why Five Guys' prices are a bit higher than the standard
fast-casual restaurant.
You're getting what you pay for — which, sure, includes fresh premium products — but
you're also paying for what you don't necessarily get.
So next time you go to Five Guys, get all the toppings you want and then some — because
you're already paying for them, whether you want to or not.
Is it true that Five Guys will never delve into the world of delivery?
Kind of.
Sort of.
Well, maybe?
When the Pentagon called to ask for a delivery, founder Jerry Murrell flat out refused, stating
"we don't deliver," even when an admiral personally called to press the matter.
After all, who could be bothered to deliver 15 hamburgers to the Pentagon when you work
at a restaurant where every hour is like a lunch rush?
It was also an ethical stand to deny delivery.
Murrell told QSR Magazine:
"We think it cheapens the product."
That being said, to quell the requests for burger deliveries and to help food delivery
businesses operating during the era of COVID-19, Five Guys recently opened up their first-ever
ghost kitchen, reports Restaurant Dive.
A ghost kitchen is a food prep location that's set up to only cater to takeout meals, with
no storefront or seating.
So the company's old stance may no longer apply, but perhaps it's for the better!
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