Executive Spotlight: Who Is Jerry Murrell, Five Guys' Founder and CEO?
Jerry Murrell is the founder and CEO of Five Guys Enterprises, the Alexandria, Virginia-based burger company. He opened the first Five Guys in Arlington, Virginia in 1986 with his sons, began franchising in 2002 to 2003, and still leads a chain that Virginia Business in 2026 described as having close to 2,000 locations across five continents.
This page covers public professional information only, drawn from published coverage and company pages.
Current role and company
Virginia Business's 2026 Virginia 500 listing names Jerry Murrell as founder and CEO of Five Guys Enterprises, based in Alexandria. Fortune, reporting in March 2026, also called him CEO of the privately held company. Five Guys is known for a short menu of burgers and fries.
- CompanyFive Guys Enterprises, LLC.
- TitleFounder and CEO, per Virginia Business (2026).
- HeadquartersAlexandria, Virginia.
- First restaurantArlington, Virginia, September 1986.
Career path
- Education and early career. Virginia Business reports he earned an economics degree from the University of Michigan and worked in life insurance before starting the company. Bloomberg Businessweek (via NBC News, 2011) said he sold insurance for years while his sons ran the burger business.
- Founding, 1986. Family Business Magazine reports that the first Five Guys opened in Arlington in September 1986, funded with money set aside for his sons' college educations. The name first referred to him and his four oldest sons and came to include all five of his sons.
- Slow local growth. Virginia Business says the family owned five restaurants in the Washington, D.C. area by 2001.
- Franchising. Virginia Business says the company began marketing franchises in 2002. Five Guys says it began offering franchises in early 2003 and, in under 18 months, sold options for more than 300 units.
- International expansion. Family Business Magazine reported that the first location outside North America opened in London in July 2013.
What he is known for
- Building a national chain from one shop. Five Guys went from a single Arlington carryout stand to close to 2,000 locations, according to Virginia Business in 2026.
- A deliberately small menu. Family Business Magazine reports that early experiments with chicken and coffee taught the company to focus on burgers and fries. Bloomberg Businessweek said he rejected adding items such as chicken, salads and milkshakes.
- Growth recognition. Boston University's Hospitality Review profile says Five Guys was ranked the fastest-growing restaurant chain in the United States in 2009.
- The 40th-anniversary promotion. Fortune reported that a buy-one-get-one-free deal launched February 17, 2026 to mark the company's 40th birthday drew far more demand than expected, with stores running short of food. Murrell had estimated a 20 percent sales increase, and the actual increase was about 130 percent, Fortune said. He then gave frontline crews bonuses, per the same report.
Leadership style and philosophy
In a 2011 Bloomberg Businessweek interview he said of the business, "All my family has is Five Guys. We don't want to screw it up." The same article reports he relies on word of mouth rather than national advertising and prefers kitchen rules over timers. On running stores directly versus franchising, he said it is "a whole lot easier just to run 'em yourself than to try to convince other people how to do it."
Family Business Magazine quotes him on the menu: "We're not going to dramatically change a winning formula." It also reports he was initially wary of franchising after an employee theft in the late 1990s before agreeing to it.
Key numbers
Figures about Five Guys, with the period shown. They describe the company, not Jerry Murrell personally, and they come from press coverage and company pages rather than audited filings, since Five Guys is private.
- Locations (2026)Close to 2,000 across five continents, per Virginia Business.
- Sales (2012)Nearly $1.1 billion, up from $950 million in 2011, per Family Business Magazine.
- Restaurants (2012)The 1,000th restaurant opened, per Family Business Magazine.
- Promotion lift (Feb 2026)About 130 percent sales increase against a 20 percent estimate, per Fortune.
What to watch next
Worth tracking: how Five Guys handles franchise closures after the 2026 promotion period. Virginia Business, citing Fast Company, reported that 14 franchise locations had closed or were planned to close in 2026, with some franchisees citing rising operating and labor costs.
Questions people ask
Who is Jerry Murrell?
He is the founder and CEO of Five Guys Enterprises, the burger chain headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia.
When did Jerry Murrell found Five Guys?
The first Five Guys opened in Arlington, Virginia in September 1986, according to Family Business Magazine.
Is Jerry Murrell still CEO of Five Guys?
Yes. Virginia Business's 2026 Virginia 500 listing and Fortune's March 2026 coverage both identify him as CEO.
Why is the company called Five Guys?
Family Business Magazine reports the name originally referred to Murrell and his four oldest sons and grew to mean all five sons.
When did Five Guys start franchising?
Virginia Business says the company began marketing franchises in 2002, and Five Guys says it began offering them in early 2003.
How many Five Guys locations are there?
Virginia Business reported in 2026 that there are close to 2,000 locations across five continents.
Sources
- Fortune: Five Guys CEO Jerry Murrell bonus, BOGO burger (Mar 25, 2026) · Current CEO title, 40th-anniversary promotion
- Virginia Business: Virginia 500, Jerry Murrell (2026) · Founder and CEO title, history, location count
- Family Business Magazine: Building a burger empire together · Founding, franchising, 2012 figures, philosophy
- NBC News / Bloomberg Businessweek: Five Guys' biggest struggle is to stay the same (2011) · Interview quotes and operating philosophy
- Five Guys: The Five Guys Story · Company history, franchising start
- Boston University Hospitality Review: Jerry Murrell · Title, 2009 growth ranking, headshot
Facts were read from the linked pages on November 1, 2026, partly through a fetch tool that returns summaries, so confirm details on the original pages. The hero photo comes from Jerry Murrell's Boston University Hospitality Review profile page; the photographer is not stated there. This page covers public professional information only.
Top photo: Boston University Hospitality Review profile page (bu.edu/bhr); photographer not stated