More than 1,000 Five Guys burgers sold on opening day

SINGAPORE - American burger joint Five Guys Singapore marked its launch at Plaza Singapura on Monday (Dec 16) with about 100 people in line prior to the store's opening at 11am.

The first person started queueing from 4am, says a Five Guys Singapore spokesman, and the average queue time today was about one hour. As of 7pm today, more than 1,000 burgers and 500 milkshakes were sold.

The brand prides itself on its hand-cut fries cooked in peanut oil, as well as its burger patties with an 80-20 lean meat-to-fat ratio. Its burger buns - made with Five Guys' recipe - are freshly baked five days a week at a local bakery.

Order your burgers, fries (original or with Cajun spices, from $7) and drinks (from $4 for a bottle of water) separately as there are no set meals here. Prices start at $11 for a single patty Little Hamburger, and from $10 for a hot dog.

The burgers and hot dogs can be customised at no extra cost. Just select your favourite toppings or go "all the way" to have everything included in your burger or hot dog. Toppings include grilled onions, grilled mushrooms, and pickles.

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Similarly, the Five Guys Shake ($10) can be customised as well. Mix in anything from chocolate to salted caramel and banana, and even bacon bits - all at no extra cost.

The 460 sq m space currently seats 52 diners indoors, and will eventually include outdoor seating as well.

Five Guys was founded in Arlington, Virginia, in 1986, by the Murrell family and named after their five sons. It was run as a family business until 2003, when they went into franchising.

The Five Guys franchise - which has more than 1,600 restaurants worldwide across the United States, Europe, Middle East and Asia - is brought in by lifestyle company Zouk Group.

The opening of Five Guys in Singapore rounds up this year's notable burger news.

This includes the debut of New York's Shake Shack burger restaurant chain at Jewel Changi Airport in April. Shake Shack also recently announced their next outlet opening in Neil Road in 2020.

Over in Duxton Road, Lombardo's Burger from Amsterdam made headlines in October for its "Most Expensive Burger in Singapore" priced at $250. The over-the-top burger included 200g patty of seared Japanese Kobe wagyu brisket topped with a butter-poached lobster tail, pan-seared foie gras, and a gold leaf-covered bun.

Five Guys Singapore at 01-32 Plaza Singapura, 68 Orchard Road opens from 11am to 10pm daily. For more information, go to www.facebook.com/FiveGuysSingapore.

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.