Five Guys Burgers & Fries Opens in Fairfield

Five Guys Burgers & Fries 
Opens in Fairfield

By Mike Lauterborn

(for Fairfield Citizen News)

12/16/11

Fairfield, CT – Five Guys. Four partners. One great destination for juicy burgers and fresh French fries. Priceless.

On Friday, Five Guys Burgers & Fries, with 975 franchise locations across the United States, opened at 340 Grasmere Avenue, in the Whole Foods Market shopping complex, Fairfield. Three of the four owners – Mariann Marona, Dana Smith and Nick Marona – were on hand to welcome visitors, who dropped into the store at midday for lunch.

The Fairfield eatery is the fifth location that the quartet owns. The others are in Westport, Norwalk, Brookfield and Newtown. A sixth will open in Stamford on April 1. Newtown was the first in the group to open, in 2006. The very first Five Guys was started in Springfield, VA, in 1986, by the five sons of Jerry and Janie Murrell, the chain’s franchisors.

Nick Marona said the formula for success is simple. “We’re built around two core products: burgers and fries,” he stated, “but also that everything is 100% fresh, prepared daily. We have no freezers or microwave ovens.”

Five Guys offers hot dogs and veggie sandwiches as well, and the 15 available toppings are all free, as are soda refills. And while you wait on your order, you can enjoy complimentary roasted salted peanuts.

Ron Pine, a Fairfield resident who works security at Fairfield Ludlowe High School, was glad to have a Five Guys so close to work. “We have a limited lunch hour, so it’s great there’s a Fairfield location now,” he said. “Of course, you can always take lunch to go.”

Mike Mennillo, who works at Stone Ridge condos just down the street, was also glad about the new eatery. “This is really convenient and I like the little brown bag they give you with everything in it,” he said. “You can just split it right open on your table.”

Fairfielder Kurt Sanwald crowed, “It’s one of the best burgers I’ve ever had. Easy, simple, great choices of toppings. And the free peanuts are a bonus.”

As to ambiance, the 2,350-square-foot space is dressed in a red-and-white checkerboard pattern, with stainless steel appliances and cabinetry, and signage everywhere noting countrywide praise and awards the chain has received. Locally, the latter includes “Best of the Gold Coast” 2010 and 2011 from Moffly Media, “Best of Fairfield County” 2010 and 2011 from Fairfield County Weekly and “Readers’ Choice” from Danbury News Times. Zagat has also bestowed “#1 Burger in the Country” honors on the chain. 

Five Guys, 340 Grasmere Avenue, Fairfield. Phone: 203-254-3238. Open 7 days a week, 11a.m. to 10p.m. Orders can be placed online at www.FiveGuys.com