When his two oldest sons told him they didn’t want to go to college, Five Guys CEO Jerry Murrell suggested they open a hamburger business.
“My mom always said if you can give a good haircut, make a good drink and make a good hamburger, you’ll be all right in life,” says Murrell, 68. “I just thought that was a good idea. I didn’t think we could make a good hamburger, but I thought, well, a lot of people do it, so maybe we could figure it out.”
Then, about a year before opening Five Guys, Murrell was in a Pittsburgh hotel when he came across a book by J. Willard Marriott Sr., who got his start in the hospitality business with an A&W franchise. He had an epiphany.
“He said anybody can be successful in the restaurant business if you serve a good product, (have a) friendly and clean atmosphere and reasonable price,” recalls Murrell. “I said, ‘Heck, if that’s all there is to it, let’s do it.’ ”