Five Guys Burgers Is a Casual Restaurant

Five Guys Burgers is a casual restaurant chain that focuses on a limited, but tasty menu of hamburgers, hot dogs and French fries. The chain was founded in 1986 with company headquarters in Virginia. The company has several kudos, GC Magazine said, "The Best $5 Burger a Man Can Eat," and the Washington Post called the company "The Willie Wonkas of Burgercraft." Five Guys' operates in 48 States (no Alaska or Hawaii yet), and 6 Canadian Provinces. Their unique appeal lies in several areas: free in the shell peanuts for snacks while awaiting your meal; a consistent product, limited menu, and cooked to order with side items. By offering a limited menu, Five Guys can better control the quality of the meal (www.fiveguys.com, 2012).

Company founder Jerry Murrell said Five Guys has five core concepts that set them apart from other fast food chains: 1) Make really good food with no corners cut; 2) If you treat the customer right, they will sell for you; 3) Every position in the company has value; 4) Know what you do well and stick to it; and, 5) Quality is Everything. The company has a simple interior, preferring to spend the money on the quality of the product as opposed to fancy paintings or decorating -- they believe the customer is there to eat a great burger or hot dog, if the customer wanted ambience, they would likely not go to a fast-food restaurant. Additionally, the business believes it has a dual responsibility -- first to the clients who expect excellence in their meal, second to employees who expect to be treated well and are part of the overall team (5 Reasons Why, 2010).

Expectations- We live in a world of fastX; fast food, fast cars, fast service, disposable everything. There is even a term for the exporting of America's fast food culture to other countries -- McDonaldization. New technology has caused us to expect everyone to be available at any time, and most certainly we expect certain things about our meals. However, the criteria in rating a fast food restaurant is understandably different that rating one with a "dining experience," or one to sit with family or friends for a lengthy time. Looking specifically at Five Guys, the following matrix is helpful:

Expectation

Met

UnMet

Comments

Ease of Access (location, parking, etc.)

Located in strip mall; adequate parking

Not as easy to find as other fast food options.

Fewer locations than other options.

Menu Options

Limited but appropriate

Would not be suitable for someone who could not eat beef

Might be problematical for some special needs or diets

Price

Higher than some competitors, but quality and add-ons more robust.

Prices are fair in relation to quality and quantity (esp. French fries).

Service Time

Longer line than usual

Hand prepared so takes a bit longer than some who have burgers stacked.

Quality of Product

Tasty, fresh, considerable difference from other fast food chains

Quality is obvious in freshness of sides, color, texture and taste of meet.

Taste of Product

Excellent, just what a burger should be.

Easily the best out of any fast food location.

Ambience

Poor, louder than needed, no frills.

Plain chairs and tables, peanuts are nice.

Staff

VERY engaging and friendly.

Eager to help and customize order.

Overall Experience

POSITIVE

No negatives; one understands limited menu and ambience as part of the reason the main product is so good.