Five Guys has taken its customizable burgers to countries around the world, and in the process has proven that fast-casual chains can thrive outside of North America.
The performance was enough to earn the Arlington, Virginia-based chain the first-ever Restaurant Business Global Restaurant Leader of the Year award.
The award, which will be presented at the Global Restaurant Leadership Conference in Barcelona in November, recognized restaurant chains and operators that have demonstrated real progress in developing international growth.
Five Guys was founded in 1986 by Jerry and Janie Murrell. They named the brand after their five sons, after the kids told their parents they’d rather start a business than go to college. They used the college fund to open a burger restaurant in Arlington, featuring hand-cut fries and hand-formed burgers.
That chain has grown into the largest fast-casual burger chain in the U.S., with system sales of $2.3 billion in 2024, from nearly 1,500 locations.
Five Guys opened its first international location in Canada in 2010 and in 2013 it opened a location in London, in Covent Garden, to customers lining up around the block.
The company has been steadily growing outside the U.S. ever since. The company grew unit count by 10% last year and finished 2024 with 450 locations in international markets.
System sales have grown 1,000% since 2014. Last year, Five Guys generated $1.1 billion in system sales outside the U.S. The chain operates restaurants in 29 different countries.
No other major fast-casual chain has that kind of international presence. While some, notably Five Guys rival Shake Shack, have expanded aggressively outside the U.S., many have had trouble applying their model to non-U.S. consumers, or their growth was such domestically that they had little incentive to grow elsewhere.
Five Guys’ simple menu, centered on burgers, has worked well in international markets where the product remains a customer favorite. The customizable burgers also provide the company opportunities to cater to local tastes with different topping options.
The Global Restaurant Leader of the Year recognizes the brand or operator that best exemplifies the spirit of international restaurant growth. It is based on several metrics, including expansion, community service, innovation and partnership.
For more information on the Global Restaurant Leadership Conference in Barcelona, check out this link.
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