Business

Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Five Guys could become seven

Franchise owner has big plans for city

By: Murray McNeill

Posted: 06/16/2012 1:00 AM | Comments: 0

Photo by Michelle Constant Five Guys Burgers and Fries on Regent Avenue. Up to seven outlets could eventually be operating in the city.

Its first outlet has only been open a little more than a week, and Five Guys Burgers and Fries already has at least two more in the works.

The local real estate agent who has been handling its leasing arrangements in Manitoba said the Utah-based consortium of investors that owns the master franchise rights for Five Guys restaurants in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Quebec (except Montreal) also has leased a 2,600-square-foot space in a newly built strip mall at 2425 Pembina Hwy.

And it has a third premises under contract, said Michelle Constant, a retail-leasing specialist with the Winnipeg office of Cushman & Wakefield.

Constant, who also negotiated the lease for a Five Guys restaurant that opened two years ago in Brandon, said the investment group hopes to open up to seven outlets in Winnipeg.

She said it hopes to have the Pembina Highway location up and running before the end of the summer, and the third -- she wouldn't say where it will be -- operational before Christmas.

The Virginia-based chain's first Winnipeg store is a 2,400-square-foot outlet that opened June 10 in Crossroads Village Shopping Centre at 1579 Regent Ave.

Constant said the other areas of the city the group is looking at include Polo Park, west Portage Avenue, St. Vital and north Winnipeg. She wouldn't speculate on how long it might take to hit its target of seven outlets.

"It's all opportunity based -- when the right locations become available. But they have the ability to act pretty quickly (when they do)," she said.

Five Guys, which has been described as the fastest-growing burger chain in the United States, was originally expected to enter the Winnipeg market in the spring of last year. Constant said it took longer than expected, because a 600-square-foot addition had to be built onto the Regent Avenue outlet and they had to wait until the Pembina Highway strip mall was built.

Five Guys was started in 1986 by Jerry and Janie Murrell. It's named after their five sons, who are all in the business, and now boasts more than 1,000 outlets in the United States and Canada.

The chain was in headlines when, shortly after moving into the White House, U.S. President Barack Obama made an impromptu stop at a Five Guys' restaurant in Washington to buy lunch for his staff and some members of the media.

murray.mcneill@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition June 16, 2012 B7

Fact Check

Have you found an error, or know of something we’ve missed in one of our stories? Please use the form below and let us know.

* Required

In which story did you find the error? *
Please post the headline of the story or the title of the video with the error.
What was the error? *
Please post exactly what was wrong with the story.
What should we have written?
Please indicate your source for the correct information.
Who else should we interview to improve this story?
Please include any contact information you may have.
Can we contact you in the future for advice on stories about this topic?
Yes

No
First Name: *
Last Name: *
E–mail Address: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Phone: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Colour:
Are you blue? If you can see this, leave it blank and get some CSS support.
Enter the words that you see: * This is to prevent our forms from being filled out automatically.
You have failed to correctly identify the words in the box above. Please try again.

More Business

Undock

You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.

Have Your Say

New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.

The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.