FIVE GUYS LTD

What FIVE GUYS LTD does

Five Guys Ltd, operating through its primary UK entity Five Guys JV Limited, is a privately held fast-casual restaurant chain specialising in handcrafted burgers, fries, shakes, hot dogs, sandwiches, and breakfast items. The business was established in 1986 as a family-operated Washington, DC burger spot and has since expanded into an international chain; UK operations, headquartered in West London, run more than 170 directly owned stores and employ approximately 4,650 people, with wholly owned affiliates operating additional restaurants in Spain, France, and Germany under parent Five Guys European Holdings Limited. The operating model is asset-heavy and franchise-free: every UK store is company-owned, food is prepared fresh daily with no freezers, fries are hand-cut and cooked in refined peanut oil, beef patties use an 80/20 lean grind with no additives, and customers can choose from 15 complimentary toppings yielding 250,000+ combinations. Distribution is omnichannel: dine-in and takeaway at company stores, direct online ordering via the website and iOS/Android app (with Apple Pay and Google Pay support), and delivery through three third-party aggregators — Deliveroo, Just Eat, and Uber Eats. Revenue mechanics rely almost entirely on per-transaction retail food sales, supplemented by gift cards, branded merchandise, and the Five Guys Rewards loyalty program; the company also addresses Halal-conscious consumers via HCO-certified stores (Birmingham Fort, London Park Royal, Manchester Arndale) and additional locations serving Halal beef with segregated pork handling. Leadership is concentrated under CEO John Eckbert, who signs governance documents on behalf of the board, and corporate communications are run from the West London head office.

Name

FIVE GUYS LTD

Legal name

Five Guys JV Limited

Website

https://fiveguys.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Five Guys Ltd is the UK operating entity of the Five Guys burger chain, running 170+ directly owned stores across the UK plus affiliates in Spain, France, and Germany, serving handcrafted burgers, fries, and shakes via dine-in, click-and-collect, app, and third-party delivery to general consumers, families, and Halal-conscious customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Quick-Service Restaurant (Fast Food Burgers & Fries)

NAICS

Limited-Service Restaurants (722513)

SIC

Retail-Eating Places (5812)

akta.pro primary industry

Burger QSR (THAFAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Burger Fast Casual (THAFABAA)

Keywords

• Quick service restaurants
• Handcrafted burger chain
• Fresh cut fries
• Milkshake beverages
• Fast food retail

Headquarters

HQ city

LONDON

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Retail Food Sales: Revenue from selling handcrafted burgers, fries, shakes, hot dogs, sandwiches, and beverages through company-owned restaurant locations.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Five Guys Ltd operates 170+ company-owned quick-service restaurants across the UK (and affiliated markets in Spain, France, and Germany) serving handcrafted burgers, hand-cut fries cooked in peanut oil, hot dogs, sandwiches, breakfast items, hand-spun milkshakes, and beverages. All food is prepared fresh daily using 80/20 lean ground beef with no additives, with 15 free toppings enabling 250,000+ burger combinations, and is sold via dine-in, takeaway, click-and-collect, and delivery through the company's own digital channels and third-party aggregators.

Product overview

Five Guys is a fast food restaurant chain offering a focused menu of handcrafted burgers, fries, shakes, hot dogs, sandwiches, and breakfast items. The company operates on a unified product model where all food is prepared fresh daily using 80/20 lean ground beef (no additives), hand-cut fries cooked in peanut oil, and 15 free toppings for customisation. The core offering includes the main food categories (Burgers, Dogs, Sandwiches, Breakfast, Fries, Shakes, Drinks, Toppings) sold through company-owned restaurants with dine-in, takeaway, and delivery options via third-party aggregators. Additional revenue streams include the Big Kids Combo meal deal, Gift Cards, Five Guys Merchandise (clothing and accessories), and the Five Guys App for mobile ordering. The loyalty program (Five Guys Rewards) personalises offers based on purchasing data. The company also accommodates dietary requirements through Halal-certified stores and locations serving Halal beef.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Burgers Hand-formed beef patties made with 80/20 lean ground beef and no additives, fillers, or preservatives, served with 15 free topping options; core menu item includes hamburger, cheeseburger, bacon burger, and bacon cheeseburger variants sold to dine-in and takeaway customers.
• Hot Dogs Beef hot dogs served with the customer's choice of 15 free toppings, available in fully Halal-certified stores and in locations serving Halal beef with pork bacon cooked on separate grills.
• Sandwiches Grilled cheese and other sandwich options prepared fresh daily in company-owned Five Guys restaurants for dine-in, takeaway, and delivery customers.
• Breakfast Breakfast menu featuring egg, cheese, and bacon sandwiches served during morning hours at Five Guys UK locations.
• Fries Hand-cut fries cooked in refined peanut oil using a three-step precook, cooling, and final cook process in dedicated fryers, served with an extra scoop standard; available in salted and Cajun varieties, both gluten-free.
• Shakes Hand-spun milkshakes with mix-in options including Peanut Butter, prepared using a single shake-spin handle that is cleaned after each use for hygiene.
• Drinks Beverage offerings including refillable sodas sold alongside food items at all Five Guys UK locations.
• Toppings Fifteen complimentary topping options, including pickles, lettuce, peppers, and other customisations, offered free with burgers and hot dogs.
• Gift Cards Digital and physical gift cards sold through the Five Guys website, redeemable at all Five Guys UK locations.
• Five Guys Merchandise Exclusive Five Guys branded merchandise including clothing and accessories sold through the dedicated online merch shop at merch.fiveguys.co.uk.

Quantifiable outcome

• 250,000+ possible burger topping combinations
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• DeliveroocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDelivery partnership allowing Five Guys products to be delivered through Deliveroo's platform, extending customer reach beyond physical locations. Partnership is region-specific with availability varying by location.
• Just EatcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDelivery partnership enabling Just Eat customers to order Five Guys for home delivery. Extends brand accessibility to Just Eat's established customer base.
• Uber EatscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDelivery partnership through Uber Eats platform, providing another channel for customers to access Five Guys menu items for delivery.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Wimpy: UK heritage burger chain with a long-standing presence across motorway service areas and high streets. Competes in the traditional UK burger QSR/casual category at a lower price point.
• Byron: UK-based hamburger restaurant chain with a full table-service casual dining model. Adjacent competitor in the UK burger category, with a hospitality-driven concept that overlaps with Five Guys' dine-in offering.
• Gourmet Burger Kitchen (GBK): UK burger chain with a national multi-site footprint and comparable dine-in experience. Competes head-to-head with Five Guys in the casual burger dining segment, with a more value-oriented price point.
• Patty & Bun: UK-based burger restaurant chain specializing in freshly prepared burgers with a strong London presence. Direct competitor in the premium burger category with similar dine-in and delivery channel mix.
• Honest Burgers: UK-based premium burger restaurant chain with comparable positioning to Five Guys around fresh, traceable ingredients and a curated menu. Direct competitor in the UK premium burger segment.
• Shake Shack: US-originated premium burger and shake fast-casual chain expanding in the UK. Closest direct competitor to Five Guys in terms of premium positioning, fresh-prep methodology, and brand-led differentiation.

Broad incumbents

• Nando's: UK fast-casual leader (~350+ restaurants) with comparable dine-in, fresh-prep, and customization positioning. Adjacent category (peri-peri chicken) but similar operational model and brand-led premium fast-casual positioning.
• Burger King: Global burger QSR incumbent with deep UK presence (~500+ restaurants). Direct competitor in the burger QSR category but at a lower price point and broader menu than Five Guys.
• McDonald's: Largest fast-food chain in the UK and globally. Competes across the burger QSR category with broader menu breadth, lower price points, and substantially larger marketing and scale advantages.

Emerging players

• Leon: UK fast-casual chain focused on naturally fast food with a healthier, Mediterranean-influenced menu. Comparable in operational model (counter service, fresh prep, dine-in/delivery) but differentiated by menu positioning.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/fiveguysuk
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@fiveguys_uk
• Facebookfacebook.com/fiveguys
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/five-guys-ltd
• Instagraminstagram.com/fiveguysuk/?hl=en
• TikToktiktok.com/@fiveguysuk?lang=en

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about FIVE GUYS LTD