In recent years, a number of American fast-food brands have been enjoying global success, with Wendy’s, Shake Shack, Popeyes, and Daves Hot chicken, among others, all setting up shop elsewhere.
Another fan-favourite institution serving up thick, creamy milkshakes, succulent beef burgers, and fries cooked in peanut oil is Five Guys.
The Virginia headquartered business started life in 1986 Jerry Murrell and his wife Janie, and was named for the former and his four sons, Matt, Jim, Chad, and Ben.
The couple’s fifth son was later welcomed and, like his older siblings, remains involved in the family-owned company which has almost 2,000 locations across the globe.
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What makes Five Guys unique is that each item - whether it be a Bacon Cheeseburger, Hot Beef Dog, or Cheese Veggie Sandwich - can be customised with up to 15 toppings, including jalapeños, pickles, mustard, and grilled mushrooms.
On top of that, the fast food chain vows via its website to give you more fries than you probably bargained for.
“Fries aren’t just a small side at Five Guys. In fact, we make a big deal out of our fries. Hand cut and cooked in peanut oil for the perfect bite, we always throw in an extra scoop for good measure.”
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According to Food Republic, this has been a practice for years, with Chad Murrell claiming: "I won't name names, but other restaurants just don't give a satisfying amount of fries.
"We always give an extra scoop. I say load 'em up and make sure they get their money's worth."
He added: “I teach my managers that if people aren't complaining, then you're not giving them enough.”
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Because of the company’s well-known ‘extra scoop of fries’ policy, people on Reddit - both in the UK and in the United States - are seemingly confused after getting their orders recently.
“When I was visiting my girlfriend in college in Naperville IL the local Five Guys would stuff our bag with fries. One medium we could split and be full,” said one social media user.
“More recently my local area (Davenport IA / Moline IL) each got a Five Guys in the last few years. It had been a while since I had Five Guys so we ordered a large fry to split, assuming the portions got smaller.”
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He went on to say that there were ‘absolutely no extra fries’, and questioned if something had ‘changed’ about the restaurant chain, or if it was just a local issue in his area’.
Someone else reported: “None (3 locations) in my area, or the town 45 minutes away, do the extra scoops of fries anymore. It must be a by-location thing now.”
“No extra scoop when I went at the weekend,” said one person, who replied to another comment regarding UK-based Five Guys.
A fourth person, who claimed to be a general manager across two Five Guys restaurants, claimed there had been ‘zero communication from corporate about eliminating’ the extra double-cooked fries portions.
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Another Redditor typed: “I wish I could send a photo of the amount of fried I got last night it was insane (in a good way) I’m very sorry op but this is just the store not the chain try a different place sorry for your experience.” (Sic)
The conversation may have stemmed from the fact that on 22 December, Five Guys announced it was switching containers in the United States from cups to ‘Fry Bags’.
“The bags allow air to circulate better, which means fresher fries, especially for delivery and takeout customers,” a press release revealed.
“Same portions, same great fries—just a smarter package that’s also better for the environment. The grease-resistant paper actually wicks excess oil away from the fries. You may see more oil on the bag, but that means less oil on your fries.”
These bags are made from biodegradable natural Kraft paper which are completely free of BPA and PFAS.
The company also confirmed that the portion size in Little, Regular, and Large packets would not change, remarking: “A regular fry is the same size as always—and yes, we still throw in those extra scoops. That’s just who we are.”
FOODbible has contacted Five Guys for further clarification regarding ‘extra fries’ portions.
Topics: Fast Food, UK Food, US Food, Social Media
Ella Scott