Recently, the famous food chain Five Guys sparked debate when a woman complained about the high cost of her food order. She posted a video on TikTok criticizing the chain after having to pay $74, and she questioned, 'when did Five Guys become a five-star restaurant?
A woman named RetailCheapskate shared her 'Five Guys' receipt on TikTok, claiming it was 'highway robbery.'
In the footage, she displayed the receipt revealing that she had to pay $74 (£60) for ordering two 'small' cheeseburgers, two regular fries, two bacon cheeseburgers, a large soda, and three regular sodas."
In the video, numerous people shared their disappointment with the fast-food chain, expressing concern about the high prices.
One person said: God bless you. You don’t know the service I had. It wasn’t good.
A second wrote: If I'm gonna shell out $70+ for beef I'd rather go to a steakhouse and order prime rib. Smh
A third said: Five Guys isn’t cheap but it’s a perfect example that people aren’t all about price.
Someone else added: Worse that I went on their website for my local area which had completely different prices to what we paid, so expensive.
Five Guys has always been overpriced. They charge every burger based on what it would cost with every topping by default. Another added.
Founded in 1986 in Arlington County, Virginia, the chain has attracted attention for its eyebrow-raising bills after a customer complained about receipt on TikTok.
According to The Rakyat Post, Iain Ross-Mackenzie, Director Of Operations-APAC at Five Guys International explained why its menu is so expensive.
He added that the brand is also focused on delivering an American experience. Additionally, their chain's menu is simpler than some competitors' offerings. It includes four basic burgers, four hotdogs, and four types of sandwiches.
A regular cheeseburger costs $7.69 while a bacon cheeseburger costs $8.69. Meanwhile, a small order of fries costs $3.09 (£2.95).
Diners can choose from 15 free toppings and combine them any way they want to create the meal of their dreams.
Specially, customization is one of the factors that make a brand particularly attractive to customers.
The pricing strategy is further influenced by the brand's source to only fresh ingredients, eschewing frozen options entirely. Iain claimed: 'Nothing in store is frozen. We only ever use fresh ingredients.'
He added that both the burgers' meat and vegetables to the hand-cut potatoes for the fries, Five Guys prioritizes freshness in its culinary offerings.
Globally, Five Guys showed the provenance of the potatoes used in their fries through signs in each restaurant. In contrast to some chains that tailor their menus to regional preferences or diversify their offerings, Five Guys remains steadfast in its formula
Iain explained why the restaurant chose to do it, stating:
clarified the rationale behind this approach, stating, 'People come to Five Guys for a simple, great American burger. And that’s what they will get here.'
He went on to explain that the chain takes pride in fostering an All-American community feel, a characteristic that distinguishes it from the competitive.
