Five Guys founder explained why staff always chuck in extra fries
It’s no secret that Five Guys is an expensive fast food option, but by God are those chips worth the expense.
While a burger in there could set you back by £12.75, the extra chips alongside a £6 portion go some way to making up for it.
Considering how scrumptious those chips are, it’s no wonder Five Guys is pretty proud of them.
They’re freshly-made at each restaurant and, for a marginal health boost, they’re cooked in peanut oil so you can steer clear of trans fats and preservatives.
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If you’ve ever had the pleasure, you’ll know the results are pretty delicious.
Even if the chips were more middle of the road, it would be no disappointment to find more of them waiting at the bottom of your bag.
But when they’re Five Guys chips, you really do feel like you’re beating the system.
Back in 2016, Five Guys’ founder Jerry Murrell spoke to Food Republic about them, explaining what makes them so tasty and why he insists on staff scooping an extra handful of them into every customer’s bag.
"Peanut oil is a healthier oil,” he said. “Lots of people prefer to use hydrogenated oils for a crisper fry, but we want that melt-in-your-mouth buttery taste that non-hydrogenated oil offers.
"There are no trans fats or preservatives, and it's the purest oil available. Since fries are all we cook in it, nothing touches our oil except for potatoes and our fry baskets."
The standard serving is measured in a 24oz cup, which is considerably larger than what’s used by its major competitors, and staff are encouraged to pack them to the brim before chucking in an extra scoop to seal the deal.
“I won’t name names, but other restaurants just don’t give a satisfying amount of fries,” said Murrell. We always give an extra scoop.
"I say load ’em up and make sure they get their money’s worth.
“[Some] people complain that they get too many fries. I just tell them to make hash browns with the leftovers. I teach my managers that if people aren’t complaining, then you’re not giving them enough.”
It sounds incredible that people would complain about getting extra fries for free, but if you’re sustainability-conscious and you’ve had your fill, you might view those extra chips as needless waste.
Murrell wasn’t done, though, and went on to explain that Five Guys never uses dehydrated or frozen fries, and that prevents them from absorbing oil or getting greasy during the cooking process.
“We actually soak our fries in water,” said Murrell. “When we pre-fry them, the water boils, forcing steam out of the fry, and a seal is formed so that when they get fried a second time, they don't absorb any oil - and they're not greasy.”
An awful lot of thought and care has clearly gone into those chips, so aren’t we lucky that we get to plough into so many of them whenever we go to Five Guys?
Rachael Davis