Why Is Five Guys So Expensive? 6 Key Reasons Explained
Five Guys’ premium ingredients, thick beef burgers, high-quality standards, costly packaging, extensive employee training, and use of expensive peanut oil contribute to its higher prices.
Five Guys, known for excellent burgers and fries, has expanded from its 1986 debut to over 1,500 locations, aiming for 3,000+. With a presence in Hong Kong, the chain has outshone competitors, winning awards for their quality. Despite higher prices than typical fast food joints, Five Guys maintains its popularity.
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1. They Use the Highest Quality Ingredients
If you’ve ever heard the old saying “You get what you pay for,” then this definitely applies to Five Guys. They pride themselves on using only the most premium ingredients in their burgers and fries.
They go above and beyond to ensure that their ingredients are fresh, since the fresher the ingredients are, the tastier the food is likely to be.
2. They Make Their Burgers with More “Real” Beef
You may have had burgers at other restaurants in which the meat was so thin that it was nearly non-existent.
Five Guys believes in making thick beef burgers, so more meat is obviously going to be more expensive. And with the prices of beef – and everything else- rapidly increasing, it’s only natural that Five Guys will continue to increase their prices.
In order to continue to make a profit, it’s imperative that Five Guys boost their prices as the prices of supplies and food continue to increase.
3. Maintenance of the Interior of Their Restaurants
Just as Five Guys has high standards when it comes to their food, they have the same values when it comes to the appearance of their restaurants.
It takes money to constantly maintain a pristine interior, so they must charge higher prices for their food in order to finance this ongoing endeavor.
Five Guys feels it’s very well worth offering pricier menu items in order to ensure their customers are able to enjoy a clean, modern, and updated dining room.
4. They Need To Properly Train New Employees
Five Guys believes in providing excellent customer service as well as sensational burgers and fries, because who can enjoy the food with poor customer service?
This is why Five Guys’ training program for new employees is pretty extensive. And while they’re training new employees, it’s necessary to pay them as they undergo training, which is one explanation for their expensive menu prices.
5. The Packaging That They Use
If you’ve eaten at Five Guys before, then you are aware that, regardless if you eat inside the restaurant or take your order to go, your food comes in the same packaging.
This packaging is expensive, which is why the prices for their menu items reflect this.
6. They Use One of the More Expensive Cooking Oils
Five Guys believe in using peanut oil for cooking and frying, because they believe it’s healthy and it gives their fries a more flavorful coating.
However, peanut oil is a lot more expensive than other types of oil, so this is definitely a reason why their prices are so expensive.
Other oils would likely be less expensive, like corn, soy or vegetable, but Five Guys’ owners feel that peanut oil is superior to these oils and that it is worth the extra cost.
FAQ on Why Five Guys Is So Expensive
Here are the answers to some commonly-asked questions regarding Five Guys and their expensive prices, and more.
Why did Five Guys raise their prices?
Five Guys raised their prices for a number of reasons. First of all, inflation has caused everything to increase, from beef to cheese and everything in-between.
Even the supplies have increased in price. As a result, Five Guys had to raise their prices in order to be able to afford the price hikes while continuing to make a profit. They also want to be able to continue to pay their employees.
Why does Five Guys give you so many fries?
The founder of Five Guys, Jerry Murrel, feels that by giving an abundance of French fries, that customers will feel as if they’re getting a good deal for their money.
Who is Five Guys’ Biggest Competitor?
Every restaurant has competitors, and having competitors can keep a company in its game. Five Guys’ biggest competitors are McDonald’s, In N Out Burgers, and Smash Burger Master, LLC.
There are McDonald’s restaurants everywhere, while In N Out Burgers and Smash Burger Master, LLC aren’t in all cities.
What is the most popular item at Five Guys?
Out of all the items on their menu, the most popular item is the two-patty cheeseburger.
This item is popular because many customers love the taste of Five Guys’s meat, and they want more of it, which is what this burger offers.
What are some popular dishes to order at Five Guys?
There are many popular dishes to order when eating at Five Guys. Some of the most popular items are hotdogs, hamburgers, hand-spun milkshakes, French fries and sandwiches.
Are Five Guys’ burgers considered healthy?
Unless you make a burger at home using whole grain bread, baked meat and fries, with no cheese or mayonnaise, there really aren’t any healthy burgers.
Burgers are considered to be “junk food,” despite the fact that they sometimes come with lettuce, tomatoes and other vegetables on them.
So, while Five Guys offers burgers and fries made with higher quality ingredients, they don’t claim that their food is healthy. Their only claim is that their food is good and high quality.
Why are Five Guys’ burgers and fries so tasty?
One thing that makes Five Guy’s burgers and fries so delicious is the fact that they fry their French fries in one hundred percent peanut oil, which is a clean, mild-tasting oil that enables the taste of the potatoes to be enhanced.
Furthermore, Five Guys also focuses on the highest quality ingredients and the best seasonings, which contributes to the great taste of the food.
Is there anything healthy on Five Guys’ menu?
Unfortunately, Five Guys doesn’t offer healthy items on their menu, nor do they cater to those who must adhere to a vegan or gluten-free eating plan.
However, for those following a keto diet, which requires a person to eat low-carb, any of the meats on the menu without the bun or French fries can be consumed while still adhering to the diet.
Why do people say Five Guys is expensive?
People say Five Guys is expensive because they invest in premium, high-quality ingredients, such as the specialty blend of ground chuck and sirloin used for their burgers, which is not available for retail purchase.
Is Five Guys popular in America?
Five Guys is indeed popular in America, as it has been named America’s favorite burger chain for two consecutive years in the Harris Poll’s 30th annual EquiTrend study. Five Guys won the prestigious title of “burger brand of the year” in both 2017 and 2018, breaking In-N-Out’s two-year winning streak as America’s favorite burger spot.
What makes Five Guys special?
Five Guys is special because they not only use high-quality beef, but also source the finest toppings, potatoes, milkshake mix-ins, and buns. In fact, their buns are made from a secret recipe exclusive to Five Guys. Additionally, they have their own unique mayonnaise recipe, which is produced by their friends at Heinz.
Is Five Guys all beef?
Five Guys uses 100% grain-fed beef for their patties, which have a lean meat to fat ratio of 80 to 20. The patties are cooked until well done, but still retain all the flavorful beef juices, ensuring that you won’t be left with tough and tasteless meat.
What’s the difference between Five Guys burgers?
The difference between Five Guys burgers lies in the number of beef patties they contain. The little cheeseburger features a single beef patty, while the regular cheeseburger comes with two beef patties.
How unhealthy are Five Guys fries?
Five Guys fries are quite unhealthy, especially when considering the calorie and fat content. Even the smallest size, the Little Fries, contains 526 calories and 23 grams of fat. The largest size, the Large Fry, is even more alarming with a staggering 1,314 calories, 57 grams of fat, and 1,327 milligrams of sodium. It is advisable to think twice before indulging in Five Guys fries.
Are Five Guys fries healthier than McDonald’s?
Five Guys fries have higher amounts of fat, salt, and carbs compared to McDonald’s fries, although the calorie content is similar. It is worth mentioning that Five Guys fries are cooked in peanut oil, which contains healthier fats, whereas McDonald’s fries are cooked in a blend of canola, corn, and soybean oil.
Why are Five Guys fries so high in calories?
Five Guys fries are high in calories because they provide customers with a generous portion size, resulting in a significantly higher calorie content compared to McDonald’s. A large fry at McDonald’s contains “only” 510 calories, whereas a serving of Five Guys fries contains much more. To put it into perspective, if you were to burn off all the calories from a small order of Five Guys fries, you would need to walk for 143 minutes (according to Nutritionix).
