Sponsored By

Five Guys eyes international expansion

Paul Frumkin, Managing Editor

July 14, 2010

1 Min Read
Nation's Restaurant News logo in a gray background | Nation's Restaurant News

Paul Frumkin

With development rights sold out in the United States and Canada, the rapidly expanding Five Guys Burgers and Fries is exploring international growth opportunities.

Executives of the fast-casual burger brand — which opened its 632nd unit in Sacramento, Calif., on Tuesday — are considering introducing the brand in either European or Asian markets over the next year or so, said Jerry Murrell, founder, president and chief executive of the Lorton, Va.-based chain.

“We’ve secured financial backing to open overseas, but we want to do it right,” said Murrell, who founded the chain in 1986. “People are approaching us [about expansion] from all over. We’ve also heard from groups in Australia and the Middle East.

“But we want to make sure that we do it in a way that won’t take anything away from U.S. operations,” he added.

Five Guys has been on an explosive growth path over the past several years. In 2009, the brand opened 171 corporate and franchised locations, bringing its total to 548 in 41 states, according to Nation’s Restaurant News' Top 100 census.

Murrell said he anticipates seeing that number climb to 775 outlets by the end of 2010. He also projected Five Guys will open 250 stores in 2011 and 300 in 2012.

Five Guys currently has 60 stores under construction, four of which are in Canada.

The brand, which began franchising in 2002, grew its systemwide sales by almost 69 percent in 2009 to $499 million, according to NRN research.

Contact Paul Frumkin at pfrumkin@nrn.com.

About the Author

Paul Frumkin

Managing Editor, Nation’s Restaurant News

After graduating from the State University of New York at New Paltz with a degree in English, Paul Frumkin attended the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y., graduating with honors in 1980. That year he moved to New York City where he worked for several foodservice and hotel publications. In 1984 he co-wrote “The Norman Table, The Traditional Cooking of Normandy,” with chef-restaurateur Claude Guermont. The cookbook, which was published by Charles Scribners Sons, won the “Best European Cookbook” award from the International Association of Culinary Professionals in 1985. He joined Nation’s Restaurant News in 1990 and has held a number of editorial positions there. He currently covers legislative policy and the Northeast for NRN.

Subscribe Nation's Restaurant News Newsletters
Get the latest breaking news in the industry, analysis, research, recipes, consumer trends, the latest products and more.

You May Also Like