Rapidly expanding chain Five Guys Burgers and Fries opened in Metrotech Center on Friday, and by noon the line was out the door.
“The wait didn’t even bother me because the beef is so good,” said Javier Ruiz, a satisfied customer who works nearby.
Hundreds of people flocked to the grand opening for the fast-casual joint’s freshly ground meat, served on lightly griddle buns with unlimited free toppings. The restaurant’s signature burger comes with all “the works” for free, meaning that there are more than 250,000 ways to order a Five Guys burger. The grease-tastic menu also includes Cajun-spiced fries, bacon-cheese hot dogs and grilled cheese sandwiches.
Check your calorie counter at the door.
The first Five Guys was opened in Virginia in 1986 by, you guessed it, five guys: Jerry Murrell and his four sons. The franchise now has more than 750 locations, including four Brooklyn outposts with a fifth coming soon to Court Street in Cobble Hill.
And the latest Five Guys has provided opportunities to Brooklyn guys, recruiting 30 employees from the Brooklyn Job Fair held at Long Island University in April.
“Five Guys makes a great burger — and believe me, I know burgers,” Borough President Markowitz said in a statement. “But most important, they are bringing ‘jobs, jobs jobs’ to Brooklyn.”
The Metrotech Five Guys is the latest spark in the Downtown restaurant boom, which will soon be home to Panera Bread on Adams Street and Shake Shack on the Fulton Mall.
Five Guys Burgers and Fries [2 Metrotech Center near Lawrence Street in Downtown, (718) 852-9380].