Five Guys Burgers and Fries is a fast-food restaurant chain that operates in over 30 states with more than 450 locations (as of October 2009). Five Guys was founded in 1986 in Arlington, Virginia by Janie and Jerry Murrell and their four sons. Originally, the five guys were the four sons and their father, but two years after opening their first restaurant, they had a fifth son. Now, all five sons are involved in the family business. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_Guys 8

Five Guys prides themselves on a menu featuring hamburgers, hot dogs, and french fries that are free of artificial trans fats and gluten (except for their buns). They only use fresh, never frozen beef and use peanut oil for their fries. They also provide free peanuts at every location. http://www.fiveguys.com/home.aspx 9

Five Guys Burgers and Fries has won many awards for their burgers; the Washington Magazine has voted them ‘Best Bargain (Cheap Eats)’ from 2000-2007 and “Reader’s Choice” #1 Hamburger from 1999-2008. They have been voted the Best Burger in Baltimore, Delaware, Charlotte, and Raleigh. http://www.fiveguys.com/history.aspx Five Guys boasts that there are over 250,000 possible ways to order a burger at their restaurant. http://www.fiveguys.com/history.aspx

In May 2010, pro golfer Phil Mickelson created a bit of a stir at The Players Championship when he plugged Five Guys Burgers and Fries pretty heavily. Mickelson stated, “I grew up on In-N-Out, I thought that was the best burger until I had Five Guys. That is hands down the best burger I’ve ever had.” http://www.cnbc.com/id/37090110 What at first appeared to be free publicity for Five Guys, it turns out Mickelson is part of a group that has purchased the rights to Five Guys franchises in Orange County, California.

• 1986 - The first Five Guys location opens in Arlington, VA

• 1986 - 2001 - Five Guys adds 5 more locations in the DC-Metro area

• 2002 - Five Guys decides to franchise

• 2003 - Five Guys sells out initial franchise territory in Virginia and Maryland within 18 months; decide to open up to rest of country

• 2003 - Present - Five Guys expands to over 450 locations across 30 states

• Hamburgers

• Hot Dogs

• French Fries

• Soft Drinks

• Wendy's

• McDonalds

• Burger King

• Hardee's

• Steak n Shake