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Nothing Fancy Here, Just Guys, Grills And Good Food

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By GEOFF FOX, The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 14, 2008

TRINITY - You might think that a business that rarely advertises and doesn't splash its logo onto every product it generates would struggle to stay afloat.

But since the mid-1980s, Five Guys Famous Burgers and Fries, started by the Murrell family in Virginia, has depended almost strictly on word-of-mouth testimonials to grow a successful operation that now includes locations in 19 states.

Not only does the restaurant have an aversion to advertising, its logos typically are found only on employees' attire and on its cups - not on hamburger wrappers and bags.

Even coupons are taboo.

The company would rather spend money on quality meat, potatoes and fresh toppings, said Darren Browning, a Five Guys manager who runs the location that opened Oct. 21 in the Trinity Village Center at State Road 54 and Duck Slough Road.

At Five Guys, Browning said, simplicity is the name of the game.

"We do burgers, hot dogs, grilled cheese and fries," he said. "Keeping it simple lets us focus on doing what we do right."

At Five Guys, the food is made to order. There are no warmers keeping burgers hot for the next customer.

The potatoes are cut fresh every day and cooked in peanut oil to reduce cholesterol. The hot dogs are kosher. The burgers are made with 80 percent lean meat and "10 percent of the remaining fat gets cooked away," Browning said.

Since every order is custom-made, patrons might wait seven minutes before digging in. But those who arrive with a ravenous hunger can munch on free peanuts until their order is ready.

It's a set-up that Robyn Pelszynski has enjoyed since the Trinity location opened.

"Oh, it's really good," she said after enjoying a burger and Cajun fries on a recent Friday afternoon. "The burgers here are so much better than anywhere else. They just taste better. It's a good, old-fashioned hamburger like you'd make yourself on the grill.

"They give you more food than you can eat is the only thing."

Five Guys began as a carry-out in Arlington, Va., in 1986. The Murrells eventually asked their five sons - Jim, Matt, Chad, Ben and Tyler - whether they wanted to go to college or run a restaurant. Obviously, they chose the family business.

By 2002, the family had opened five Northern Virginia locations when they decided to expand, according to the Washington Business Journal.

Browning, who spent 20 years as a district manager for Subway restaurants, said Five Guys wants to open eight stores in the next 10 years in Pasco and Hernando counties. The company extensively researches any area before opening a location, he said.

"We didn't do any advertising at all with this store and we came out booming," he said. "Just think what it will be like in two years."

There are plans to open a Five Guys in the food court at Cypress Creek Town Center at State Road 56 and Interstate 75, as well as in Spring Hill at Mariner Boulevard and State Road 50 in Hernando, Browning said. The Trinity location is open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day.

Browning said one aspect of Five Guys' business philosophy that drew him to the company is the corporation's attitude toward its employees.

No one at Five Guys is paid minimum wage and the company offers rewarding incentives. When mystery shoppers give a location a good report, employees can receive bonuses of $100.

"If employees are happy, they'll tell their friends and it will rub off on customers, as well," Browning said. "I've been in this industry 20 years, and this is the best crew I've ever had."

FIVE GUYS

WHERE: 10700 State Road 54, Trinity

HOURS: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

CALL: (727) 376-5885

ON THE WEB: www.fiveguys.com

Reporter Geoff Fox can be reached at (813) 948-4217 or gfox@tampatrib.com.

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