Five Guys owner explained why their food is so expensive after 'out of control' receipt was shared online

It's a topic that rolls around every couple of months, but why does it cost an arm and a leg to get a meal from Five Guys?

We've all seen the viral receipts of customers complaining about having to fork out £18.58 ($24.10) for a burger, fries and a drink or comparisons between the cost of menu items now and 14 years ago or hacks on how to save money on your order.

How much does a meal at Five Guys cost?

According to the Five Guys UK website, a Cheeseburger will set you back £10.95 while a regular portion of fries costs £5.65 and a refillable soft drink £4.35.

This means you're forking out over £20 for a meal which, to be fair, does come with a Mount Everest sized portion of chips.

So why has Five Guys decided to price their meals on the more expensive end of the fast food scale?

Five Guys isn't a budget fast food option (Getty Stock Images)

Five Guys founder explains menu pricing

According to founder Jerry Murrell there's some very solid logic behind the reason to price their food at the premium end of the fast food options, which has a lot to do with the cost of food more generally.

"Our food prices fluctuate," Murrell previously told Inc Magazine. "We do not base our price on anything but margins.

It was branded 'out of control' (X/@‌WallStreetSilv)

"We raise our prices to reflect whatever our food costs are. So, if the mayonnaise guy triples his price, we pay triple for the mayonnaise!

"And then we'll increase the price of our product."

Despite the customer complaints, the method is clearly working out for Murrell and his business.

As of mid-2025, Five Guys has over 1,900 restaurants in 29 countries across the world, which is a long way from the first store which opened up in the city of Arlington, Virginia, in 1986.

Although you can get your toppings for free (Instagram/Five Guys)

While the burgers themselves may cost a little more than competitors, there are some benefits to getting your meal from Five Guys, as the restaurant chain allows customers to add as many toppings as they wish to their burgers without charging extra.

Why do Five Guys give away so many chips?

Considering the premium pricing for burgers drinks, the sheer volume of chips you get from Five Guys is another major talking point.

Chad Murrell, one of the founder's five sons, previously told Food Republic: "People complain that they get too many fries... I just tell them to make hash browns with the leftovers. I teach my managers that if people aren't complaining, then you're not giving them enough."

While fries come in fistfuls, anyone who fancied tucking into a vegetarian burger would leave disappointed as the fast-food chain yet to put a meat-free patty on their menu.