Five Guys Burgers and Fries
Five Guys Burgers and Fries: Ingredients for Success Hellen R. Gable January 26, 2013 Contemporary Business Presented to Dr. Paul Rossman
2 Five Guys Burgers and Fries Five Guys Burgers and Fries was an unknown fast food restaurant until 1986 when it was established by the Murrell family as an ultimatum to “start a business or go to college.” The father and 4 sons, then the 4 sons joined by a new sibling, aka “Five Guys” took on the challenge with the help and guidance of their parents, Jerry and Janie Murrell. Early in 2003, franchising opportunities were offered and now 20 plus years later what began in the Washington, DC area has over 1,000 locations in the U.S. and 1,500 in the works. We’re going to explore their philosophies, values, factors of success and ethical and social practices in order to gain an understanding of this hamburger phenomenon. The Murrell family still maintains the company and monitors franchise operations closely. Five Guys Philosophy Fresh – it’s a simple, but powerful word in the restaurant industry. And Five Guys Burgers and Fries built its philosophy on that one word - fresh. The five facts listed on their “About Us” page state the straightforward values that were developed by the Murrells which not only center on the freshness guiding principles, but the business strategy itself. This, in and of itself, sets Five Guys Burgers and Fries apart from the major fast food chains who buy in bulk, frozen and fresh. The five facts are as stated on their website, http://www.fiveguys.com/about-us.aspx are: There are over 250,000 possible ways to order a burger at Five Guys. We use only fresh ground beef. There are no freezers in Five Guys locations, just coolers. Nothing is ever frozen. We use only Peanut oil. Our menu is trans-fat free.
3 Original Values “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” (Lance, 1976) can well apply to the original values set up by Jerry Murrell and sons when setting up Five Guys Burgers and Fries. Jerry
2 Five Guys Burgers and Fries Five Guys Burgers and Fries was an unknown fast food restaurant until 1986 when it was established by the Murrell family as an ultimatum to “start a business or go to college.” The father and 4 sons, then the 4 sons joined by a new sibling, aka “Five Guys” took on the challenge with the help and guidance of their parents, Jerry and Janie Murrell. Early in 2003, franchising opportunities were offered and now 20 plus years later what began in the Washington, DC area has over 1,000 locations in the U.S. and 1,500 in the works. We’re going to explore their philosophies, values, factors of success and ethical and social practices in order to gain an understanding of this hamburger phenomenon. The Murrell family still maintains the company and monitors franchise operations closely. Five Guys Philosophy Fresh – it’s a simple, but powerful word in the restaurant industry. And Five Guys Burgers and Fries built its philosophy on that one word - fresh. The five facts listed on their “About Us” page state the straightforward values that were developed by the Murrells which not only center on the freshness guiding principles, but the business strategy itself. This, in and of itself, sets Five Guys Burgers and Fries apart from the major fast food chains who buy in bulk, frozen and fresh. The five facts are as stated on their website, http://www.fiveguys.com/about-us.aspx are: There are over 250,000 possible ways to order a burger at Five Guys. We use only fresh ground beef. There are no freezers in Five Guys locations, just coolers. Nothing is ever frozen. We use only Peanut oil. Our menu is trans-fat free.
3 Original Values “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” (Lance, 1976) can well apply to the original values set up by Jerry Murrell and sons when setting up Five Guys Burgers and Fries. Jerry