Why Does Five Guys Cost More Than Other Fast Food Chains?

As even fast food prices have begun to skyrocket, there are a few standouts for price: Wendy’s Biggie Bag is hands-down one of the best fast food value meals, and Taco Bell continues to remain an affordable option, thanks to its Cravings Boxes. On the other end of the spectrum, though, lies Five Guys.

While technically part of the fast-casual market, Five Guys’ quick service and familiar burger-and-fries options nonetheless place it into competition with the likes of In-N-Out, McDonald’s, and Burger King, but where it rises above its rivals is its pricing. One of the ways Five Guys justifies its higher prices, though, is by offering customers choice.

Unlike at most fast food establishments, where adding ingredients to your sandwich also adds upcharges, Five Guys’ menu offers 15 different toppings — all for “free.” A regular burger, which already features two all-beef patties (and will set you back between $10 to $11 depending on your market), as well as any of its sandwiches, can be customized to your heart’s content. You want all 15 toppings on your burger? Go ahead; it’s still $10 to $11. Five Guys charges more initially, but then gives customers free reign to add as many of its available ingredients as they like. Now, if you don’t need much on your burger to be happy, you might be better off heading to McDonald’s.

There’s another reason Five Guys charges almost double what most fast-food restaurants do: The fast-casual chain prides itself on its fresh, never-frozen ingredients. It’s one of the 5 fast food chains that uses 100% pure beef, after all (but so does the much cheaper In-N-Out), and the meat doesn’t even arrive at restaurants pre-formed. Part of the daily routine for Five Guys employees is to unpack the ground beef, hand-form the patties into spheres, and then press them into burgers using a special tool. (Whatever is left after three shifts gets tossed into the garbage.)

All of Five Guys’ vegetables arrive whole at the restaurants, too, ready to be prepped by hand or machine each morning. It’s more than just the toppings, though; even the fries start life in Five Guys locations as whole potatoes, which get rinsed and sent through a fry cutter, before getting double-cooked — in peanut oil. Peanut oil may be more nutritious than other cooking oils, but it’s also more expensive, which lends itself to Five Guys’ higher prices, too.

Since Trump made good on his promise to introduce tariffs on goods coming from both Mexico and Canada, consumers have braced themselves to further feel the pinch on their wallets when it comes to food. One major import to the United States? Beef, with Canadian beef imports rising by almost 25% between 2023 and 2024.

Now, with the 25% tariff on imports like these, we can expect prices to go up in supermarket meat departments and restaurants alike. With Five Guys already charging almost double what other fast food burger chains do and getting away with it, it is possible in response to potentially surging beef costs that its prices could rise further.

There is already evidence of Five Guys’ willingness to charge more for its food in an ever-more-expensive economy. A poster on the r/fiveguys subreddit submitted a photo of their restaurant in Washington, where the hamburger price reads $10.99. “These are the new prices … They went up just the other day,” they commented.

“They will keep going up as long as enough people pay,” another commenter remarked, while still another wrote, “$22 for a cheeseburger, fry, and drink is absolutely insane.” It hasn’t yet, but might Five Guys begin to price itself out of most American consumers’ budgets in 2025?