This State Has More Five Guys Locations Than Any Other
Five Guys may be headquartered in Virginia, but it's not the state that boasts the most locations for this eatery. This favored burger joint, which only uses fresh beef and famously doesn't have freezers, a key reason Five Guys' food is so delicious, has been around since 1986 when the Murrell family opened their first restaurant in Arlington. Today, this quick-service restaurant has 1,700 locations worldwide, with another 1,500 in the works. It's growing and thriving; however, Florida has more Five Guys than any other place.
File this under facts you might know about Five Guys; the Sunshine State has 123 locations, besting California with its 118, and New York, which only has 92 locations. What makes the land of beaches, bikinis, Disney World, and Epcot Center the place to nurture and grow this fast-food chain? Florida is the third-most populated state, with close to 23 million people calling it home. According to the National Restaurant Association, the restaurant industry in Florida is booming, raking in $77.6 billion. It's also the second largest private employer for the state.
Why not California or New York?
Still, why does Florida have more Five Guys locations than California, the state with the greatest population, and New York, whose citizens seem to be the most on-the-go? Could it be because California is already overrun with the beloved, darling of West Coast burger and fry fast food chains? Local favorite In-N-Out, which has a whopping 275 locations in the Golden State, is almost as famous as some of the celebrities who stop by for the animal-style burgers. In fact, In-N-Out is Prince Harry's favorite fast food joint, and Anthony Bourdain and Julia Child also liked it.
Still, Five Guys has its own famous fan base. Former President Obama has been known to nosh on the cheeseburgers, and professional golfer Phil Mickelson is an investor in one of its franchises, but in California. It's difficult to divine why Florida seems to be the "it" state where Five Guys is planting flags like famed explorer Juan Ponce de León who went there looking for the fountain of youth, but with 83% of American families eating at fast food restaurants at least once a week, expanding in states and areas with large populations is a wise strategy.