Five Guys Burgers and Fries: Ingredients for Success
In 1986 when Jerry and Janie Murrell started the first Five Guys, they felt as though they would have to focus on the superiority of their product and the happiness of their customers so that they will be able to compete with other knowledgeable fast-food chains. The name Five Guys was established to symbolize the five sons that the Murrell’s had. In 1986 to 2001 Five Guys launched five more locations throughout the Washington DC metro-area. The restaurants had acquired recognition among the community, thus they began to franchise in 2002 and 2003. From 2003 to today, Five Guys has over 500 locations with several more in progress.
Jerry Murrell’s marketing philosophy was very plain “Sell a really good, juicy burger on a fresh bun. Make perfect French fries. Do not cut corners” (Welch, 2010). Jerry also made the choice not to waste money on marketing. He acknowledged that they were going to use their food to promote the products. Murrell stated that if you treat that person right, he will walk out the door and sell for you (5 Reasons Why Five Guys is a Big Success, 2010). Murrell suggested that his customers knew that he spent money on excellent products. The Murrell family also does not spend a lot of money on the look of their restaurants. The decorations are kept very simple and have been compared to a military cafeteria or a 1950s diner (Yu, 2009).
Five Guys is so successful because though it only sells hamburgers, it does that extremely well. Some of the factors that added to the accomplishments of Five Guy’s in such a short time are Murrell believing that every job at the business was important, knowing what tasks you are good at maintaining and sticking with it because quality is everything, and knowing that giving employee incentives will take them a long way within the company (5 Reasons Why Five Guys is a Big Success, 2010). Jerry Murrell believed that if every employee were treated as...