Five Guys to open in Nottingham

Retail News

Sixty thousands students will have Five Guys to thank when they get a taste of the market-leading premium burger in Nottingham.

Five Guys is the US-based chain which pioneered the premium end of the market, cooking fresh not frozen customised burgers to take away – and it’s chosen Nottingham as its latest home in the UK.

More than 40 people will work at the new Five Guys restaurant on Long Row in the city’s Market Square, which is due to open on 16th March.

John Eckbert, the UK CEO of Five Guys, says the city’s student population and vibrant culture were key factors in its decision to come here.

“We want to come to the major cities of England and Nottingham is an important one,” he said. “It’s got one of the largest catchments and it has long been on our radar and our experience tells us that the best way to come into a new market is to go right into the middle of the city centre.

“There is a significant student population in Nottingham from Nottingham Trent University and the University of Nottingham, and the city is also a top tourist destination with events and music festivals. All of these are factors for us – 60,000 students is important and the atmosphere that comes from culture and entertainment matters to us.”

Five Guys started out as a family business in Arlington, Virginia, in 1986. Today, its no-frills burger joints offer premium products whose appeal lies in fresh ingredients, carefully controlled cooking and a consistently great customer experience. In the USA, it controls 60% of the $2.5 billion market for better burgers, and now has 1,200 locations across North America and the UK – with many more planned.

Five Guys will trade from two floors of a former Pizza Hut outlet on Long Row. The deal was put together by Ben Tebbutt, a director in the retail and leisure team at the Nottingham property consultancy FHP.

He said: “I first came across Five Guys in Covent Garden and I knew then that they would be a perfect fit for Nottingham. There is a growing appetite for high quality fast food experiences and Five Guys has been serving up exactly that for nearly 30 years. They focus on what they know and they do it brilliantly well.

“Five Guys is one of the brands playing a key part in the transformation of the city centre from being retail-led to retail and leisure. We knew a place overlooking the Market Square would be perfect for them and they are really going to make their mark there.”

John Eckbert says Five Guys has a broad appeal which defies categorisation: “The thing that’s absolutely brilliant about our company and our brand is that you can’t pigeonhole our customers. You’ll get students coming in, people in suits or uniforms, tourists, all kinds of families and senior citizens. There’s been an explosion in demand for what we do.”

He added: “Everybody loves a burger. We may not be the cheapest, but we make a burger as well as it can be made and I’d put what we do up against what they serve on a white table cloth.

“We’re very purposeful about how we expand, and FHP has been a great help to us in giving us some critical insights into the Nottingham market. The more savvy we can be about local markets the better it is for us.”

Five Guys has taken a new 15 year fully insuring and repairing lease at £150,000 per annum with no break clause.

Ben Tebbutt concluded: “The leisure market is an attractive one on many levels. It is proving a key element in Nottingham’s resurgence as a visitor destination, supporting the retail economy’s evolution.

“Food and beverage operators are also good tenants for landlords as the investment they make in their operations is substantial and they are willing to make a longer lease commitment to make sure they get a return. This can make the properties they occupy a much more marketable commodity among investors.”