Five Guys is a family-owned restaurant company that opened its first location in 1986. The Murrell family originally started the company in Northern Virginia. They named the restaurant Five Guys after their five sons, who originally ran the first few locations. The Murrells began franchising in 2002, and the company grew to over 2,000 locations in sixteen countries, with 1,400 locations here in the US.
Add one more to that list, as the newest Five Guys location opens this Friday in Bellevue.
The Murrell family originally started the Five Guys company in Northern Virginia. They named their restaurant Five Guys after their five sons, who originally ran the first few locations before franchise rights began to sell.
Jeremy Tutora is one of the owners of the Bellevue Five Guys. Originally from Southern California, Tutora says he has lived all over the United States and has family in Nebraska. In 2022, Tutora was working for the Five Guys corporation when he was given the opportunity to become a 50/50 partner with a new location to be built in Bellevue. Tutora’s business partner is a Nebraska City native who currently resides in Lincoln.
When talking about how they decided on Bellevue, Tutora said, “Bellevue is a great market for restaurants, so that’s what brought us to this specific location. But we have some family connections with Offutt AFB and have always been fond of this part of the Omaha-Metro area.”
“I worked for Five Guys corporate for over 12 years when this opportunity came about. Five Guys is a great company to work for and a brand I strongly believe in. I was most likely going to work for the company until I retired, so making this a family business decision to dedicate our lives to was a pretty easy decision.”
Jeremy Tutor, Co-Owner – Bellevue Five Guys
According to Tutora, Five Guys has made a name for itself through genuine food, dedication to quality, and making their customers the focal point by investing in their crew. Tutora mentioned that Five Guys does not run national ad campaigns because they invest all their marketing resources into their team. He said, “The thought is, If the crew is happy and making great food, our customers will do the talking for us.”
Tutora elaborated on what he believes separates Five Guys from other similar franchises. “We don’t use freezers, and everything is made fresh daily. Our crew preps all of our produce, hand-cut potatoes, and freshly balled ground beef each morning,” said Tutora. “We don’t use timers or microwaves… even our bun toaster is a heavy-duty flat-top grill. Our hand-cut fries are cooked in a 3-stage process, fresh to order in 100% cold-pressed peanut oil, and our juicy burgers are cooked to order on a flat-top grill. We also have handspun milkshakes with mix-ins like fresh prepped strawberries, Oreo cookies, Reece’s cups, chocolate, peanut butter, etc.”
Five Guys keeps their menu simple, offering burgers, hot dogs, fries, and milkshakes. They also provide free peanuts for customers while they wait for their food. Tutora says that by keeping the menu simple, they can focus on quality. “Our regular burger comes with two 3.6oz patties,” Tutora said. “My favorite is the bacon cheeseburger with mayo, lettuce, pickles, tomatoes, mustard, and grilled jalapenos with an order of cajun fries. My kids love our all-beef Kosher style hot dogs with our Five Guys style fries.”
Tutora also mentioned that Five Guys wants to be involved with the Bellevue community. “We do fundraisers at the restaurant for local sports teams, schools, programs, etc,” Tutora said. “Our Marketing Director handles all of the relationships with the community. We love hosting events, catering, hosting community fundraisers, making donations, and supporting little leagues.”
Five Guys will open for business this Friday, April 12, at 11 a.m. The restaurant is located at 848 Cornhusker Road, between Raising Canes and Panera Bread. Regular business hours will be seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Like many places, Five Guys is always hiring. Tutora said they are currently looking for crew and shift leaders. He mentioned that crew members’ starting wages are $15-$16 an hour, while shift managers start at $18+ an hour. People who are interested in applying can stop in to get an application.
Tutora elaborated on wanting to build strong ties with the community. “We are looking to build a strong, long-lasting relationship with the Bellevue community. We have a ribbon-cutting ceremony planned for the morning of the 12th with the Bellevue Chamber of Commerce before officially opening for business. We are a family business through and through. My family here in Nebraska and beyond are very excited for this new chapter and can’t wait to get open and serve the Bellevue community the best burgers and fries!”
