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A Five Guys meal with a cheeseburger topped with lettuce, tomato, and onion on foil, fresh-cut fries spilled onto the table, and a large drink—classic fast food from one of the few fast-food chains that never use a microwave.
Five Guys Burgers and Fries by Jerry Huddleston ((CC BY))

Getting your burger fix may be a little harder — at least if you prefer Five Guys over other chains. The burger restaurant known for its overflowing fries and free peanuts has closed a number of locations this year, and more closures appear to be on the way. Given the chain’s reputation for its price, though, some people aren’t at all surprised by this news. 

Why Five Guys Is Closing Locations

Five Guys is a privately held company, so it doesn’t report its financials like some other large chains. So we don’t really know how well the chain is doing, beyond the fact that it has about 1,500 locations in the U.S. and is expanding internationally. 

What we do know is that Five Guys is one of the pricier burger options out there, especially if you compare it to fast-food chains. And between high inflation, record fuel prices, and a cart of groceries costing you about the same as a small car (at least it feels like it), people are not about to splurge on an expensive burger as much as they used to. 

“I was going to Five Guys before they started franchising,” said one customer in a thread on Reddit about the closures. “It was delicious and cheap. But that was many, many years ago. It’s still good but prices are just bonkers and I don’t go nearly as often anymore.”

Other people said they’ve stopped going as well. “I loved that place but haven’t been there in years. My understanding is that it has become very expensive.”

“Five Guys is great if you enjoy paying steak prices for hamburger.”

@step

Why is Five Guys so expensive? 🤔 Their burgers cost way more than other fast food, but there’s a reason. Here’s why they can charge so much—and why people still pay. If you’re dropping this much on fast food, you might as well get rewarded—Step Black gives you 3% back on dining. Link in bio.

♬ original sound – Step

Where Five Guys Has Closed

So far, 10 Five Guys locations have closed already this year across seven states, according to Fast Company, which used some internet sleuthing to verify the closures. 

California

  • 2970 W Grant Line Rd, Tracy, CA 95304
  • 2701 Ming Ave, Bakersfield, CA 93304
  • 71-800 Hwy 111 Rancho Mirage, CA 92270
  • 24201 Valencia Blvd #3672, Valencia, CA 91355

Florida

  • 6431 E County Line Rd, Tampa, FL 33647

Illinois

  • 2856 S Rte 59, Naperville, IL 60564

Iowa

  • 3450 Dodge St Suite B, Dubuque, IA 52003

Louisiana

  • 2950 Ryan St, Lake Charles, LA 70601

Georgia

  • 3393 Peachtree Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30326

Nebraska

  • 2525 Pine Lake Rd, Lincoln, NE 68512

Additionally, Fast Company identified four Five Guys locations that will be closing soon. All four of these locations are in California, where law dictates that a notification of layoffs must be filed with California’s Employment Development Department. 

  • 10140 Carmenita Rd, Whittier, CA 90605 (closing May 25)
  • 1552 S Azusa Ave, City of Industry, CA 91748 (closing May 26)
  • 3572 G St, Merced, CA 95340 (closing June 26)
  • 1693 W Lacey Blvd Suite A, Hanford, CA 93230 (closing July 2)

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A red tray holds two cheeseburgers with lettuce, tomato, and cheese, alongside a serving of French fries. Napkins, a drink, and an In-N-Out menu are in the background on a speckled table.
成昇成田 / TripAdvisor

Meet the Writer

Lacey Muszynski is a staff writer at Cheapism covering food, travel, and more. She has over 15 years of writing and editing experience, and her restaurant reviews and recipes have previously appeared in Serious Eats, Thrillist, and countless publications in her home state of Wisconsin.