Five Guys keeps its menu small. Every topping comes free on a burger, hot dog or sandwich, from grilled onions to jalapenos. Fries turn up in a paper cup stuffed well past the rim, cooked in peanut oil at every location. More than 1,516 restaurants now carry the name across the United States, tracing back to one carry-out counter in Arlington, Virginia.
Five Guys’ own history, from that Arlington storefront to today’s family-run chain, fills the section below.
Five Guys History
Jerry and Janie Murrell opened the first Five Guys in Arlington, Virginia, in 1986. The counter sat at the corner of Glebe Road and Columbia Pike, built on less than $70,000 and offering no seats. Jerry asked his sons whether they wanted college money or a stake in a business, and they chose the business. Five guys, at that point, meant Jerry plus his first four sons: Jim, Matt, Chad and Ben.
Tyler arrived the following year, and the name grew to cover all five Murrell sons rather than Jerry and four of them. Franchising began in 2003 through the firm Fransmart, and permits for more than 300 locations sold within about eighteen months. Growth carried the chain past 1,900 restaurants worldwide over the years that followed.
Five Guys remains privately held and run by the Murrell family today. Matt and Jim still visit stores around the country, Chad directs training, Ben picks franchisees and Tyler oversees the bakery division. Headquarters moved from Lorton to Alexandria, Virginia, in 2023. The menu has stayed narrow throughout, built around burgers, hot dogs, fries and a short sandwich list with every topping included free.
Five Guys Menus & Details
Three pages carry the detail below: the priced menu, off-menu requests regulars use at the counter and the item-by-item allergen breakdown Five Guys itself publishes.
Five Guys Menu Prices
Burgers, hot dogs, sandwiches and fries make up the whole board, each item sized and named on its own. The Five Guys Menu Prices page adds the price and calorie count for all 21 items.
Five Guys Secret Menu
Regulars order a handful of off-menu builds, like the grilled cheeseburger and the patty melt, by describing them at the register. The Five Guys Secret Menu covers each one and how to order it.
Five Guys Allergen Menu
Five Guys publishes its own allergen chart by component rather than by finished burger. The Five Guys Allergen Menu breaks down every bun, patty, topping and sauce.