Man thinks he’s worked out genius reason why Five Guys charges so much for a burger

When it comes to fast food, you really can't beat a Five Guys.

The chain is famous for its tasty burgers, incredible array of toppings and literal mountains of fries. But there's no denying that a meal at the fast food restaurant can cost a pretty penny.

Now, one man thinks he's cracked the code as to why, watch below:

In a clip posted to TikTok, author and behavioural science expert Rory Sutherland says: "Five Guys is an interesting one because no one would have thought you could charge $10 for a burger in an environment that is no more exotic than a McDonald's, right?"

But, he goes on to explain that you're actually getting a much better deal than it appears.

"If you delve a bit deeper, the burger and the shake — the two signature items — are the only things that are expensive.

"You get free drinks refills, you get an extra scoop of fries for free, you get free peanuts. All the toppings on the burger are entirely free, regardless of how many of them you want."

Five Guys

Sutherland then gets to the crux of why the fast food chain can get away with charging up to £12 for one of their delicious burgers.

He says, "If you have a hero product (i.e. the burger), you can charge massively in an area where people think money makes a real difference provided you're remarkably ungreedy everywhere else."

And, his theory makes sense, with Five Guys explaining why their food costs as much as it does.

Quality comes at a a cost, and the fast food chain prides itself on only using the freshest of ingredients — no frozen food here!

Its meat is reportedly from a speciality supplier, which is comprised of 80 percent lean and 20 percent fat ground beef - apparently, this is the perfect ratio of yumminess.

And, its scrumptious chips are cooked in peanut oil, which can be an extremely expensive commodity.

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Five Guys CEO Jerry Murrell explains the company's pricing structure.

"Our food prices fluctuate," Murrell says. "We do not base our price on anything but margins.

"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."

But, while Five Guys uses the best quality ingredients across the board, Sutherland believes they only charge premiums for their 'hero products,' the products where people think price directly affects quality, while keeping the prices of their other offerings as competitive as possible.

After all, you're probably willing to pay more for a higher quality cut of steak but would roll your eyes if Tesco raised the price of potatoes.

Is anyone else craving Cajun fries all of a sudden?

Topics: Business, Food And Drink, Money, TikTok, UK News, Five Guys

Bec Oakes