The Real Reason Five Guys' Buns Are So Unique
When Five Guys Burgers and Fries made their debut and began franchising, they gave other fast food joints a run for their money. The burger and hot dog chain prides itself on something that many fast food restaurants can't, and that's wholesome pure ingredients. The burger spot uses fresh ground beef and peanut oil, according to the Five Guys website, and they don't even have freezers on-site, only coolers. Considering there are nearly 1,700 Five Guys locations all over the world, they must be doing something right.
The burgers at Five Guys are loved by many not just for the taste, but for the endless customization options. Unlike many restaurants, Five Guys doesn't charge for toppings, even if you add every single one to your double bacon cheeseburger. There's another element of a signature Five Guys burger that stands out, and that's the bun. We can thank founder Jerry Murrell's wife, Janie, for that. Her favorite bakery in Alexandria, Brenner's Bakery, created a special bun just for their restaurant that had an eggier texture and was a bit sweeter, reports NBC News. When Brenner's Bakery later closed their doors, Five Guys took the baking into their own hands and started baking the sweet buns in-house.
Five Guys still sticks with the same bun recipe
Five Guys Burgers and Fries started out small in Arlington, Virginia when, as the name alludes to, five guys decided to open up a take-out burger spot. It was a father and his four sons — five once the youngest came into the picture — who continued opening new locations until the business grew large enough to introduce franchise options in 2003 (via Five Guys website). But when they first started baking their signature buns in-house, they learned it can be tough to do everything yourself. "I don't want to say it was a nightmare, but it was pretty close to one," Chad Murrell, one of the "guys," told NBC News.
The successful business inspired many and made it on the front page of various papers. The media wave only increased popularity and demand. At this point, demand made it impossible to continue baking their buns on-site so Five Guys caved and started outsourcing their buns, according to NBC News, but the Murrell family wasn't willing to sacrifice the original flavor. All Five Guys restaurants still cook that eggy, sweet bun for every burger they flip.