The arrival of Five Guys in Australia was a bittersweet tale of triumph over tribulation. In July of 2020, news broke that the wildly popular American burger chain would be opening its first Australian outlet, courtesy of local franchisee Seagrass Boutique Hospitality Group. At that time, a specific location was yet to be revealed, but the expectation was that it would set up shop in the CBD by early 2021. However, unforeseen delays and difficulty finding a suitable venue pushed the fabled opening back several months, with the burger giant then announcing that its debut joint would in fact be opening in Western Sydney towards the end of the year. The Penrith branch finally opened its doors to the public in late September of 2021, although the stringent lockdown rules in place at the time meant only locals within 5km of the store could get their hands on a Five Guys burger for the first month or so of its operation.
However, after overcoming those early challenges, the burger chain has bounced back and then some. With the Penrith branch now a slamdunk success, Seagrass has announced that its original aspirations to open in the CBD are ready to be realised. “We have been looking for the right space with the right landlord partner to bring Five Guys to Sydney city for some time,” says Tim Andrews, the retail director of Stonebridge Property Group, which has been working with Seagrass to identify a CBD home for the new restaurant. “I’m please we secured Five Guys for this prime CBD site.”
With an opening date finally announced for June 6, Five Guys will open its second Sydney outpost at 383 George Street, in the heritage-listed Spiden House, in the retail heartland of the CBD and just a stone's throw from some of the most up-and-coming night spots in Central Sydney. So whether it's hungry shoppers or late-night revellers, Five Guys can expect to do a roaring trade.
If you’re scratching your head wondering what’s so great about this quintet of dudes and their burgers, allow us to fill you in on why Five Guys has a worldwide cult following. Key to its success is a brilliantly uncomplicated model that focuses on what's important.
When you purchase your burger, that’s literally all you purchase: the patties (ground beef, seasoned, not pre-pressed or frozen) and the buns (fresh-baked brioche with a classic sesame-topped crown). The toppings – and you can have as many as you want for no extra charge – are totally up to you. You can choose to keep it simple or let your freak flag fly, choosing as many of the 15 different options (including applewood-smoked bacon, jalapenos, grilled mushrooms, fried onions, pickles, and seven different condiments) to suit your particular palate. For any math nerds out there, including the number of patties (up to three) and all of those toppings, there are over 250,000 different flavour combinations possible.
The fries are skin-on and fresh fried, not from-frozen, ensuring they’re crisp on the outside and pillowy soft on the inside. And that, burger fans, is literally all they do. You won’t find nuggets or chicken burgers or fillet-o-fish on the Five Guys menu. Just burgers and fries, executed to perfection. If you don’t believe us, you can make your mind up for yourself when the new Five Guys opens in a few months' time.