Did you know…
Five Guys was founded by husband-and-wife team Jerry and Janie Murrell in 1986. The first location was located inside the Westmont Shopping Center in Arlington, Virginia (it closed in 2013), and the chain expanded slowly– opening just four more by 2001. But in 2003 the Murrells decided to franchise, and the chain took off; by the end of 2004 more than 300 locations had either opened or were in development.
The “five guys” the name refers to were originally founder Jerry Murrell and his four sons, Jim, Matt, Chad, and Ben. When a fifth son, Tyler, was born in 1988. Jerry bequeathed the title of “fifth guy” to him. All five sons are involved with the company: Jim and Matt visit stores throughout the country, Chad oversees all training, Ben chooses franchisees, and Tyler oversees the bakery.
Like its rival In-N-Out, the menu at Five Guys is quite small: burgers, hot dogs, fries, and a handful of sandwiches cobbled together from what’s on hand (like grilled cheese and vegetable sandwiches), along with free peanuts and, in most locations, those cool Coke Freestyle machines that let you create thousands of soda combinations. A handful of locations serve breakfast items like bacon, egg, and cheese sandwiches.
“To this day the entire family meets every Tuesday at 1 p.m. at the Lorton headquarters to talk business. The meetings can get boisterous. “We have soundproofed walls in the meeting room….,” says Chad. “We don’t want the rest of the office hearing us go at it.”
Source: Fox news & Forbes