...Five Guys: An Honest Business Built on Simplicity Reyna Haynes-Smith Professor Barry Adkins Contemporary Business BUS 508 October 19, 2012 Food. It’s a major topic of discussion today. What’s healthy, what’s not. What’s filling, what’s worth the money. There are many factors that contribute to the reason consumers choose one business over another. Most choose fast food options because they don’t have the time for a sit down meal. Time is short and many want a meal that is filling but also want something healthy. Enter Five Guys Burgers and Fries. Five Guys was founded in 1986 by Jerry and Janie Murrell in Washington DC. They wanted to give their sons the opportunity to either build a business or go to college. The business route won and the family opened a carry out burger joint in Alexandria, VA. Their premise was to concentrate on the quality of their product and the satisfaction of their customer. From that a simple yet beneficial business was born. The “Keep it simple” mindset has brought Five Guys tremendous success. “Now, over 20 years after Five Guys first opened, there are over 1,000 locations nationwide and over 1500 units in development. Five Guys continues to receive media attention and has grown a cult-like following around the world”. Five Guys took many years to perfect their business practices. Many of their practices differed from those of other businesses...
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...The Economics of Five Guys Determine how Five Guys’ philosophy sets it apart from other fast-food chains. “Do good in school or you will end up flipping burgers your whole life!” How many times have kids heard their parents talk like that? Well that has worked out very well for Jerry Murrell and his sons. Jerry Murrell is the founder and owner of the first Five Guys Burgers and Fries. Their business plan includes making the very best burger around, matching that with perfect fries and not cutting any corners in the process. They started in 1986 and in 2002 when they began selling franchises they only had 5 burgers joints. Today there are over 570 of them and annual sales reach the $483 million mark. The Murrells spend their time overseeing the opening of around four new stores each week. And just think your parents said flipping burgers was a dead end job. When Jerry Murrell began franchising he was just a small burger operation with an almost cultish following in Northern Virginia. Today, the business is, by some, estimated heading in the direction of the $1 billion in value mark. Five Guys only has 87 locations. That is 87 cities or areas where their stores are located. Most of these are in the Washington region, but a hundred more are located along the East Coast this year. There are thousand more being phased into the business plan. Each store, the company says, will make around $1 million per year. Jerry and Janie Murrell and their sons are often asked...
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...“Five Guys Burgers and Fries: Ingredients for Success” How does one start a business in an industry that is dominated by companies that emphasizes speed and quantity over quality? Jerry and Janie Murrell with the help of their sons have come up with a formula to compete and beat some of the top fast foods companies. When the boys where proposed “start a business or go to college”, they picked to be entrepreneurs (Boone and Kurtz, 2012). Jerry Murrell and his wife started Five Guys Burgers and Fries in 1986. They opened the doors to the first carry out store in Arlington, Virginia with a philosophy that is accredited for the success of Five Guys Burgers and Fries. The original values of the company still stand strong today. There are three factors that contribute to the success for the company. Along with the social practices of the company which has also been a factor in the overall success of the company. “Sell a really good, juicy burger on a fresh bun. Make perfect fries. Don’t cut corners” (White 2009). This has been the Murrell’s basic philosophy since the beginning of Five Guys. Five Guys is known as a chain that sells fresh burgers that are never frozen and are prepare when ordered. There are 15 fresh ingredients that allow customers to specialized there burgers just the way they want. The fries are fresh cut and also made to order. The fries are only cooked in peanut oil. When a customer goes inside one of the Five Guys stores they have can see a sign...
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...1. Determine how Five Guys’ philosophy sets it apart from other fast-food chains. The five Guys’ philosophy, Jerry Murrell and his five sons saw the vision to opened a fast food restaurant, on the menu is Americans favorite meal, hamburger and fries. The first store opened in Arlington, Virginia, 1986. Welch (2010) found…Jerry Murrell and his sons believed to set apart for other fast-food chains they would need to concentrate on the quality of the quality of their product, and the satisfaction of their customers. Boone and Kurtz (2012) Found…In his own words, Jerry Murrell’s business plan was simple. “Sell a really good, juicy burger on fresh bun. Make perfect French fries. Don’t cut corners. Five Guys’ burgers are made to order, it is different from the other fast-food chains, not place under a light for extended hours. According to Boone and Kurtz, (2012); the Five Guys Burger stores had a sign “If you are in hurry, there are a lot really good hamburger places with short distance from here.” 2. Analyze the original values for the start-up company and how it remains strong today. Boone and Kurtz (2012) found… the original values from the beginning, Five Guys fast-food restaurant wanted people to known that their money went to providing quality food. Money not spend on décor, the stores have simple red and white tiles. The hamburger meats are 80 percent lean, never frozen, always fresh. The fries are made from potatoes from Northern Idaho. The potatoes in Florida and California...
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...Philosophy: Set apart A fast food burger is a burger, right? Not at 5 guys. Other chains use frozen meat with additional preservatives and have extensive menus with items such as milkshakes, salads, desserts, etc. 5 Guys website states “We follow the philosophy of focusing on a few items, and serving them to the best of our ability. If we were to add to our menu, then you can guarantee that we would only do so if we could serve the highest quality product possible.” (5 Guys Website) They go on to add that if they are not able to do something the very best, better than what is already available out there via other venues, they are not going to do it at all. 5 guys have received several awards for being the best and this philosophy certainly is a big part of how they have maintained such consistent success. If you go into any 5 guys you will clearly see their simple approach from decorating to pounds of potato bags filling the dining area. You know you will get fresh cut fries and that is only one of the many fresh options available. The menu is not extensive as stated already, however it is classic and alluring. You can order a burger “your way” at Burger King, but it’s a whole other ballgame at 5 Guys. Here you can see the fresh selection list of toppings…all free of charge to make your burger the best it can be. This is not stingy burger or fries either. A small fry can easily feed two people as not only is the cup it comes in filled to overflowing, the bag they...
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...Guys Burgers and Fries: Ingredient’s for Success Right way might be the long way but it always pays off. Five Guys Burgers and Fries, one of the fastest growing fast food chain in the country. It might have took them 15 years to open up their 5 burger chain but it took them a year to open their 300 burger chain. Through their 15 years in business they learned what is right for them. Business - consists of all profit-seeking activities and enterprises that provide goods and services necessary to an economic system. 1. Determine how five guy’s philosophy sets it apart from other fast food chains. Jerry Murrell found Five Guys Burgers in 1986. The first store opened in Arlington Virginia. When Jerry Murrell was interviewed, he says there are five reasons why Five Guys’ Burgers is a big success. 1. Receipt for success is to make really good food with no corners cut. 2. The best sales man is the customer. Jerry Murrell says “ treat that person right, he will walk out that door and sell for you.” 3. Every position at the company has value. 4. Know what you did at–and stick to it. 5. Quality is everything. These are the five concepts that set Five Guys burgers apart from other fast food chains. If you look at Mac Donald’s they sell burgers, chicken sandwiches, salads, burritos, ice cream, milkshake and they even have a breakfast menu, same as Burger King and Wendy’s. You can also look at Pizza Hut and Dominos. They are orig Hi there, i have essay which...
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...world of Accounting has seen several major scandals since the early 1990s. These include major accounting failures such as Enron, WorldCom, Adelphia, Tyco, Phar-Mor, Cendant, Computer Associates, AOL, Freddie Mac, ImClone, Qwest Communications, Royal Ahold, Health South Corporation, AIG, Lehman Brothers, and most recently the Olympus Corporation. Some of these have resulted in the collapse and dissolution of the company – Enron, Adelphia; others have resulted in a major restructuring of the company – AOL, AIG, Freddie Mac. Whatever the result, they have all been caused by accounting fraud – either “cooking the books” to hide major losses or to hide the theft of funds. It has also resulted in the failure and absorption of the one of the Big Five Accounting firms – Arthur Anderson. Besides the whistle blower who brought most of these to public view and the lawyers who have been involved their dismantling one of the other major role players, though unsung and unknown, has been the Forensic Accountant. We will be taking a look at this last individual or groups of individuals in most cases. We will look at what they do, their “required” skills and role in courtroom and possibly examine their role in a couple of the noted scandals. The Forensic Account What is a forensic accountant? Bolgna...
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...Entrepreneurial Leadership Five Guys is a large fast-food chain restaurant that stands out among the rest. They have different philosophies that set them apart from other fast-food companies. Many of the values that Five Guys started with have made them succeeded and are still a huge factor in their success today. After being around for seventeen years, Five Guys decided to start franchising the company, which lead to a large success in such a short amount of time. We will also discuss the ethical and social practices that Five Guys have that are a part of their company. Five Guys have a few different philosophies that set them apart from other fast-food chains. The first is that they are not a “fast-serving restaurant,” they take pride in their burgers with having a quality burger, and it being fresh made to order. In the past years they had signs in their restaurants that stated “If you’re in a hurry, there are a lot of really good hamburger places within a short distance from here (Welch).” A second philosophy that they believe in is “their best salesman is their customer (Welch)”. They feel by just treating their customers with respect that that is all the advertising that they need. The original values of Five Guys were “Sell a really good, juicy burger on a fresh bun. Make perfect French fries. Don’t cut corners (Welch).” They use 80 percent lean mean, that is always fresh, they never freeze their burgers. They use a certain process for their fries...
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...Introduction What do you get when two parents motivate five sons to make a decision between going to college or to start a business? You’ve guessed right, Five Guys Burgers and Fries. Their ingredients for success were founded in 1986 by parents Jerry and Janie Murrell along with their five sons (Boone & Kurtz, 2012). Five Guys went from a small family restaurant to being considered the fastest growing food industry in today’s consumer market. Moreover, their success was only pinpointed on the quality of the burgers served and less on advertising. Throughout this research report, I’ll explain the philosophy, values, successful factor contributions, and ethical and social practices of the Five Guys business culture. 1. Determine how Five Guys’ philosophy sets it apart from other fast-food chains. Ever since the establishment of Five Guys Burgers and Fries, they’ve desired their business plan to be simple. As stated by Jerry Murrell, “Sell a really good, juicy burger on a fresh bun. Make perfect French fries. Don’t cut corners (Boone & Kurtz, 2012).” This kind of philosophy has voted them to be number one as customers favorite go to restaurant (Hsu, 2012). To stand out from other fast food chains, Five Guys wanted to focus on the quality of food and less advertising as possible. In addition, their food is always served fresh with burgers that are eighty percent lean patties that aren’t frozen with a side of Idaho potatoes that fried in peanut oil (Boone & Kurtz, 2012). Furthermore...
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...Five Guys Burger and Fries: A Simple Recipe for Success Brooke Mosely Dr. Victoria Figiel Contemporary Business BUS508 October 28, 2012 Five Guys Burgers and Fries started in Arlington, Virginia in 1986 by Jerry Murrell and his wife Janie. The business was a way to keep their two eldest sons employed and at home after deciding that college was not in their future. The Murrell’s used the money intended for their college education as capital to start up the take-out burger joint. The company’s name stemmed from the Murrell’s five sons (Five Guys), whom are all a part of the business. Today Five Guys has branched out into over 570 franchises in the United States and Canada (Boone & Kurtz, 2012, p. 78). Their growth since 2002, when they opened their first franchise, has doubled and tripled over the years with revenues reaching an estimated $570 million (Burke, 2012). Inquiring minds are interested in the rapid success of the restaurant and what are the ideologies behind it as well. This paper will reflect on Five Guy’s philosophy as its set apart from others, examine the core values that the company portrays, identify factors that have contributed to their success, and determine the social and ethical standards practiced by the company. Five Guys definitely has a philosophy that’s sets them apart from the average fast-food restaurant. Simply put from Jerry’s own mouth, “Sell a really good, juicy burger on a fresh bun. Make perfect French fries. Don’t cut corners”...
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...ENTREPRENURIAL LEADERSHIP The Five Guys Story Jeanne M. Catalano Strayer University Authors Note This paper was prepared for Bus 508 Contemporary Business Taught by Professor Dr. Nayak Passion, creativity, and the desire for the Benjamin ignites the flame in which entrepreneurship grows. One such man, Jerry Murrell gave his kids an option: college or run a business, and thus, Five Guys and a Burger was formed in Arlington, Virginia. (Boone, 2012, p. 78). Like all other small businesses’, Jerry faced obstacles such as competition, supply and demand, and capturing market share all while trying to maintain an ethical and socially responsible business. Jerry has maintained this success by following one simple recipe for success: burger and fries (“Five Reasons,” 2010). This simple concept along with his 5 rules of the business: best salesman is the customer, every position has ownership, know what your good at and stick to it, quality is everything, and employee incentives has catapulted Five Guys into over 16 years of business. (“Five Reasons,” 2010). Since 1986, despite the recession, the beef crisis, and competition, Five Guys have not only sustained their business but have almost doubled in size. Over the years, Jerry has stood by his original value to just sell burgers and fries and execute it well (Joiner, 2012). His philosophies have remained strong and his success can be attributed to three main factors: Product specialization, human resources, and branding...
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...Entrepreneurial Leadership: “Five Guys and Fries” Professor Watts MBAE5302 – Economics and the Free Market December 16, 2014 Euronda S. Jefferson Five Guy’s Philosophy “Anyone can make money in the food business as long as you have a good product, reasonable price, and a clean place” (Pulizzi, 2010) It was this quote from John Willard Marriott that provided the groundwork John Murrell used to build Five Guys Burgers and Fries. Jerry Murrell, Owner of Five Guys Burgers and Fries, has had a love affair with burgers and fries since he can remember – but not just any burger and certainly not just the run of the mill fries. For this reason, Five Guys’ philosophy, and mission sets it apart from other hamburger chains, thereby creating a successful business model. Five Guys’ philosophy sets it apart from other fast-food chains for the following reasons. First of all, Jerry did not have the pressure like others do when planning to start a business. Jerry was not in a fuss to make money, nor have a strong ambition to monopolize the burgers and fries market. Contrary, Jerry’s goal was to send his two sons to college, and not start a burger joint, a business philosophy providing Jerry the leverage to make more meaningful decisions for starting his burger business. Second, to Jerry’s surprise, his sons did not want to go to college, a decision that he supported. The whole family decided and agreed to use the son’s tuition to start a burger...
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...Leadership Determine How Five Guys’ Philosophy Sets it Apart From Other Fast-food Chains Five Guys follows the philosophy of focusing on a few items, and serving them fresh to order. Five Guys is not your typical fast food chain for a number of reasons, one being that they limit their menu. Five Guys serves burgers made to order, which are fresh and never frozen (Boone & Krutz, 2012). Customers can customize their burger with a choice of 17 free toppings such as ketchup, mustard, and jalapeno peppers. The buns are toasted on a grill for better taste, rather than in a bun toaster. The potatoes for the fries are grown in northern Idaho, and are cooked in peanut oil (Boone & Krutz, 2012). Although they may not have a drive-thru, Five Guys offers a sit down restaurant in a warm, clean environment. Analyze the Original Values for the Start-up Company and How it Remains Strong Today Values of a company play a very important part in establishing a business in today's competitive market. The first Five Guys Burgers and Fries opened in Arlington, Virginia in 1986 by the Murrell family (Five Guys’, 2011). The family opened a carry out burger joint in Arlington, Va., that served hand formed burgers and fresh cut fries cooked in pure peanut oil. The Murrell family wanted to provide good food and to keep it simple. The founder of Five Guys believe if you "Treat that person right, he’ll walk out the door and sell for you,"(Five Guys 2011). Since then, Five Guys has received a number...
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...options. Five Guys Burgers and Fries is definitely set apart from the rest in a unique way. The first thing that caught my eye when I was looking on their website is that they do not have any freezers inside the restaurants. I was pleasantly surprised because even restaurants that say they use all fresh ingredients have freezers. Five Guys is an exception to this, they do not have freezers they have coolers, because all the food is made fresh to order and never frozen compared to other fast food places, like McDonalds. Simply put the restaurant industry right now is crowded with burger and fries, so Five Guys does burgers and fries better than everyone else. It all started when Jerry Murrell’s sons decided they did not want to attend college. Satisfied with the decision they made he used the money that was going towards tuition to open up a hamburger take-out shop in Virginia. (Boone and Kurtz, 2012, p.78) Columnist from Inc.com states that even though Five Guys only sells burgers, they sell burgers extremely well. (Joiner, 2012) Five Guys puts value in their food by offering fresh made to order burger with up to fifteen free toppings to choose from. Fine ingredients cost more and Five Guys is committed to offering great quality food with quality ingredients. Jerry Murrell, CEO of Five Guys Burgers and Fries stated in an interview with USA TODAY, “I think people will pay a little extra for food if it is worth it.” (Joiner, 2012) Since the beginning of the startup of Five Guys, the...
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...Entrepreneurial Leadership “Five Guys Burgers and Fries: Ingredients for Success” July 22, 2012 Abstract Five Guys was founded in 1986 by Jerry and Janie Murrell and their sons, all five of whom are part of the business. The first location, which no longer exists, was in the Westmont Shopping Center, and by 2002, the family ran six locations in Northern Virginia. The restaurant gained popularity among locals and visitors alike, and its franchises grew rapidly over the years. In August 2010, they had more than 670 locations across America and Canada. When his sons decided they weren’t going to college, Jerry and Janie took the money they had saved for their college and opened a Five Burgers and Fries. Currently, Five Guys gave expanded to over 1,000 locations in 47 states and 6 Canadian provinces. This paper will focus on three main reasons how Five Guys has become one of the fastest growing burger chains in the country. The three main reasons are quality, value and the salesmen. “Start a business or go to College.” (Five Guys Burger and Fries, 2012) While many of us would believe this is a crazy offer for a father to present his sons who recently graduated college, I think it is safe to say none of us, even Jerry and Janie Murrell, would have thought the business would sky rocket as much as it has. The first Five Guys location was opened in Arlington, VA in 1986 and five additional stores were opened throughout the Washington, DC area by 2001. By 2003, only...
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