BANGOR, Maine — The national franchise that makes what GQ Magazine calls “the best $5 burger a man can eat” will soon be serving them to customers in Bangor.
Five Guys Burgers and Fries is expanding northward after opening its first franchise in Maine in Portland’s old port in April 2011.
“We’ve been seriously looking at Maine since 2010 and at Bangor in particular for about a year,” said Gene Prentice, vice president of operations for the ownership group operating Five Guys franchises in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Maine. “We were told about the strong trade areas around Bangor, so we looked at Downtown Bangor and Orono.
We thought the Mall area pulled from a very large area with good visibility, so we like the location.”
The location is officially 878 Stillwater Ave., which is next door to an AT&T wireless store and TD Bank branch alongside the entrance to the Bangor Super Walmart.
When finished, the new 2,700 square-foot burger joint will seat about 80 customers, including an outdoor patio seating area, and be open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week.
Prentice said he plans to be open for business in late winter or early spring, depending on the building construction schedule.
Five Guys’ building permit application, which was filed in August, has been approved by Bangor’s code enforcement office and only awaits payment on the application fee.
Prentice said Five Guys is known for its taste, fresh ingredients and quick service.
“To tell you the truth, I love burgers and have been to very few burger places that I haven’t liked, but we are 100 percent fresh,” he said. “Our beef patties are hand-formed, the bacon cooked daily and only used for one day, and all our other toppings are fresh as well. We don’t even have freezers, just coolers.”
“We want our guests to leave happy.”
With what the business’s website says are 250,000 different ways to order a burger at Five Guys, it may be difficult to choose.
Prentice said Five Guys uses only fresh beef, cooks only with peanut oil, and is trans-fat free.
The franchise was founded when Jerry and Janie Murrell opened the first location in Arlington, Va., in 1986. Since then, more than 1,100 franchises have been created in 47 states and six Canadian provinces, and another 400 are in development.
“We own franchises in Boston, Suffolk and Middlesex counties in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Maine, and our ownership group has two franchises in Key West,” said Prentice, whose operating partner and co-owner is Jamal Bourote.
Can’t wait for you to open. Hate the burger joints around here. I work next door and I will love ordering online and picking it up hot and fresh. Thank you for coming to Bangor
Awesome – greatest burger and fries!
My best friend and I have been BEGGING Red Robin to open a franchise in Bangor for FIVE YEARS…We travel to Augusta from time to time JUST for their hamburgers.
5 Guys? I can give you 5×5 reasons to go to Red Robin’s instead!!!
100% Agreed. I just had the opportunity to eat at Red Robin for the very first time. The burgers are amazing and the price is right. Now that i live in the Portland area there are many new places to go out to eat. I had heard that Red Robin was heading that way and eventually replacing Chili’s but i am not sure about my source…Should be interesting if it happens to see them and 5 guys go up againt it.
isnt thee a red robin in freeport?
No Red Robin in Freeport… Johnny Rocket is there…
There is a Red Robin in Scarborough!!! Lucky you!!!
Five Guys is so much better!
I would respectfully disagree! :-)
Hmm… no, you’re welcome to your opinion of course, but as far as I’m concerned you may keep Red Robin. Their burgers remind me of the burgers you get at casual dining places that specialize in other things (Applebee’s, the 99 et al.), except they don’t have the other things. (What they do usually have is hordes of noisy kids; at least the one at the Blackstone Shops down in Worcester generally seems to.) I’m much happier about the advent of a pseudo-local Five Guys than I would be about an RR (though I have to admit I would take a Johnny Rockets over either one, for the chili).
i’ve been to the red robin in augusta a couple times and found their burgers to be kinda “meh”. not bad, but nothing to write home about. the best burger i’ve had around bangor (granted, i don’t vary my restaurants much) is the green chile burger at the seadog. great burgers, great beer, what more can you ask for?
Do they use real Hatch green chile?
i honestly couldn’t tell you. i’ve had the green chile burger at the seadog in bangor and the seadog in topsham and they were great at both locations.
They have expressed interest here before, but they pull out after looking. I believe they think too many fast food joints are here
ughh red robin.
I’m not sure comparing Five Guys and Red Robin makes much sense. Red Robin is comparable to a Friendly’s or Ruby Tuesday. Nothing like Five Guys at all.
I need a Sonic and a Popeye’s. A Whataburger would be super awesome
5.00 for a burger? Its more like 6.50 ; fries are 3.50 for a small, and 5.00 for a large fry, drinks are 3.00, so, you can’t walk out of there without dropping 12.00 or 13 bucks. BUT it’s totally worth it. The burgers are awesome and so are the fries. All hand cut and fried in peanut oil, so good.
We first patronized Five Guys this summer when visiting friends in Illinois. We dropped 17 bucks for two and didn’t think it was worth it. The burgers weren’t that moist and the fries so-so. Could have been the management of that store. We think Fudruckers are better (and a better buy) but one has to go a ways to find one of those.
I miss a big ole juicy burger from Fuddruckers. How dare you bring up such a delight I have learned to live without.
Are there any left? Sure hope so although a lot have closed.
Saugus, MA and it’s great!
We tried Five Guys in CT – thought is was a Grease Fest!
MMmmmmmmmm
Hahahaha! Touche.
The ones in Portland were wrapped inthe PPH….I think the content repels grease too, so the tables were streaked.
Og – You’d think this kind of grease joint would be against your organic religion! ;-)
And do not utter the name of that southern Maine rag that now requires facebook membership for comments. The horror… the horror.
Not moist?? They are dripping with grease!
Isn’t grease one of the major food groups?
Our’s weren’t. Overdone and dry. Hope it was poor local management.
Don’t tell Mayor Bloomberg…
Their “cheeseburger” is actually a double cheeseburger. A “little” cheeseburger is a regular 1 patty burger and costs $4.00. So you can get out of the place for about $10. And yes they are worth it!
Loved their fries but the burger I had from their Ithaca, NY location was nothing to write home about. It was good but not the awesomeness I had heard so much about.
For those prices, I will stick with my Moosebreath Burger from Bugaboo when I am in a burger and fries mood. Yeah, yeah, it’s not a fast food joint, but if you call ahead you can run in and just pick it up.
I was at the neighboring Hannfords yesterday and BC’s parking lot is all torn up. Are they closed for good or just remodeling?
It’s been a good 4 or 5 months since I have been there. I hope they’re not closing! It’s where my daughter wants to go for her birthday dinner every year.
My wife and I like 5 guys. However it cost us $21.00 for 2 burgers and drinks and we share an order of fries. You are right. it is worth it.
$1.25 for a hamburger, free french fries, and all home grown. And i know where my beef came from. Best dam burgers and french fries in the state.
Right on!
GREAT 5 Guys they are worth every single penny!!!
Ahh Five Guys….the In and Out Burger of the East Coast. Great news!
JL, now you’re talking. These are the 2 best burger places 5 Guys and In and Out Burger
We need an In N Out. The picture of the 5-guys burger they used doesn’t make me want to go there haha
that’s b/c there are about 5000 less fries in the picture than in real life. OK maybe not 5,000, but you get a boatload more than actually in the pic.
The fries I’m not worried about. The burger looks like someone had a seizure while making it, then threw it down the stairs.
the pic of the burger is terrible, I agree, but definitely looks and tastes better live.
Found SONIC in New Mex. and prefer them, except for Great Lost Bear in P.land.
yay!!!!!
I wonder how this will be. I have missed In N Out Burger from NV since I moved back here. This sounds real similar … Guess we shall see in a few months.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/19/five-guys-favorite-burger-survey_n_1894722.html
Recent data has 5 Guys beating In-N-Out so maybe 5 Guys has gotten better.
It would take a lot for them to beat them out but I am willing to give it a try;) Always told my husband that I miss Sonic Shakes and In N Out Burgers!
About time! We discovered Five Guys in Portland this summer. It will be worth the trip from the County just to eat there again!
I look forward to Five Guys, but if you have not been to the one in Portland lately, their prices have gone up. Likely inflation and costs have gone up, but nevertheless $10 will no longer buy two meals for two people like in the past
Per my other post, more like $15 +.
You get what you pay for, as with most other things in this world.
Looking forward to trying Five Guys. The other thing that caught my eye was the fact that they will offer outside seating at their restaurant. I have commented many times that I wish more area restaurants had outside seating. Our summers here in Maine are so short, I like to take advantage of eating outside on nice days every chance I get.
There’s your problem. With the time of good weather relatively short, it’s hard to justify the space and maintenance commitments of outdoor seating up here.
Yes, I know, and I should have acknowledged that, but a lot of people flock to those restaurants that offer outside seating so I see that as an encouraging sign for future restaurants that will choose to open up in this region. If a restaurant has all the right components to be successful – good food, great service, etc. – they will make it, regardless of other drawbacks. Just my opinion, though.
there isn’t much maintenance if it’s just a sidewalk with, perhaps, a low fence around it. Tables and chairs are stored elsewhere over the winter.
We go to 5 Guys when we are out of state and are really looking forward to them coming here. My husband and I share the burger & fries as they are large orders. Not a bad price for 2 and we always enjoy them. Glad to see something different coming to the area.
I tried a few times in Manchester NH it’s way over rated. I swear by Roy’s in Auburn. I go to the golf one when it’s open and the downtown one in the winter. I get a double cheeseburger and a double hamburger.
I thought it was over rated as well but I’ve only had their food at one location so I’m willing to give them another try.
I live in Ithaca and I think the Five Guys here is great (have also eaten in a couple DC area stores). Have never had a bad burger there. Sorry your experience wasn’t as positive. Glad you’re willing to give the Bangor one a try, though. :)
Five Guys is the bomb!
Per my other comments, I hope that the Maine units are better and better run than the one I went to in the Midwest. Guess I’ll give the m one more try at the Bangor unit but if they don’t measure up, I’m outta there.
Orono huh? try again
They should put one in Orono.. right near the bars, and leave it open until 2am, like the one in Portland… I swear they make as much money from 1-2 am on Fridays and Saturdays as they do in an entire day during the week.
My bad, corrected.
Great!
SO EXCITED!!! Super fresh and moist burgers!! Fresh cut fries…nom nom nom. :)
Personally, I’d like to see a Portland Pie Co. come to Bangor!!
Me too! They have one next to the Verizon Center in Manchester, NH that takes advantage of the traffic from shows, sporting events, and hotels in that area & it makes a killing. I’d like to see one on Main Street in Bangor do the same thing. Real gormet pizza and great brews!
I’d like a Panera Bread in Bangor but it ain’t gonna happen. They can only get the raw dough as far as Augusta.
I am pretty excited about this. I’ve only been to Five Guys once, in DCA, while waiting for my flight back to Bangor last spring. I got off my previous flight with limited time before the next one and there it was, right next to the gate. I was deliciously surprised. The burger and fries were top notch, second only to maybe In-N-Out Burger.
As for the comparisons to Red Robin, we’re really dealing with two different beasts here – RR is a great restaurant burger, Five Guys is a great “fast casual” burger. Five Guys is going to compete more with the fast food joints in town than the “sit down” places, IMHO.
I’m thinking of moving back to Maine…… oh wait, we have a 5 guys right down the street.
otpaddler, I dispise you out of envy
It was just a matter of time before they came to Bangor. This business with to very well.
It is about time, good burgers are gone, Wendy’s were once good, but terrible tasting now and the fries have way too much salt, he bit M,yuck, and BK, nope, I have to have the wife cook them to be good.
I still want to kick the Arby’s CEO in the n-u-t-s for getting rid of the classic chicken burger…
Gee, I was wondering where I was going to find a burger and fries in Bangor. Perhaps one of the THIRTY or so other places??
THIS…. is the extent of our innovation nowadays. And people wonder why were in trouble.
Where’s the Sonic? Where’s the the Red Robin? Where’s the Carls? Where’s IN n Out Burger?Where’s the Perkins? Where’s the Steak n’ Shake? Where’s the White castle (I can fit four in my mouth at once)If all you guys need are burger joints there are several out there if you’ve never left home.
Carls? How dare you bring up the name of something I can’t have, living here in Northern Maine? Best fast food burgers ever!!
I’d vote for Sonic (except they’re car hop only), Steak and Shake, and White Castle Z(at least once in a while for old times sake).
You would be hard-pressed to find any Carls Jr.’s or In n Outs east of Arizona. This is just not Maine being behind in the times.
Precisely what Maine needs. More fat and grease.
It’s your funeral.
Moose burgers on the grill are better.
When you get tired of the burgers,try the hot dogs.Their grilled dogs are the best and you can load em’up with condiments.I hope they use Maine potatoes and not the inferior Idaho brand.
I’ve only ever seen them use Idaho potatoes at the Portland location :-
I live in Portland, and frequent the Five Guys here on Fore Street. It’s incredible every time… Especially at 1:00 am on a Friday or Saturday night :)
Five Guys is awesome. That is all.
Been to the one in Portland. Not going back, and will not be visiting the one in Bangor. Over-hyped, poor, greasy product, soggy fries. I can go most any restaurant in Bangor and get the same.
thank you for not going back – less people in front of me in line
Not a problem at all. My family won’t be taking any spaces away from you either.
Progress in the culinary wasteland of Bangor, Maine. B. Good next?
Dayum, DAYUM, DAAAAYYYYUUUUUMMMMMM!!!!!!
Oh my damn
Here comes more minimum wage jobs. Want fries with that?
Better than no jobs!
a tropical storm is better than a hurricane…
When I lived in Houston Texas I gave up on them all because of the burgers at Hooters. Yeah, say what you want about the girls. But, I loved their burgers. On another note, I will give 5 Guys a chance. This will provide another eating experience to the area and put some local people to work. Even if they are part-timers.
I hope they do well and open the doors to other franchises that have steered clear of Bangor for so long.
I love hooters, the restaraunt that is
Hooters has great wings
FIVE GUYS boast about where they buy their potatoes..IDAHO.. People in Maine should be asking, will they be purchasing “The County “potatoes????
FIVE GUYS likes to boast where they purchase their potatoes for their fries..IDAHO…Hope the people in Maine will make sure they buy from “THE COUNTY”!
Fat chance.
My left arm tingles at the thought of this.
They use peanut oil…..Guess we won’t be going there…… hope they have a HUGE peanut allergy sign up
they also have BARRELS of peanuts available for consumption. Wouldn’t step foot inside if i had an actual serious peanut allergy.
This is awesome! I’ve eaten at their places in Sarasota Florida and in Portland and they are the best burgers out there. Welcome to Bangor Five Guys!!!
Wonder if the new S S M State Social Management crowd has allowed them to open in Bangor.Hoping for a Chick-fil-a. Yessah!.
You’re right, people who support same-sex marriage shouldn’t have the freedom to choose which businesses they give their money to.
tolerance=Hipocracy
You can’t even spell the word and I’m supposed to trust you know what it means?
ignorance + holier than thou + hypocrisy = timjy (he’s a lost cause Yessah!!) Oy.
The depth of your inaneness and shallowness is always entertaining. You never fail to show everyone just how obtuse you truly are. LOL.
I completely understand that hipocrits do not understand the truth.
and apparently can not spell hypocrite as well….try again genius.
hard to spell but very easy to see!
there are no places serving burgers and fries in Bangor currently? or is this just another amateurish headline from the BDN?
Five Guys is awesome. Had heard and read about them, but being geographically challenged, figured I’d never have the opportunity to try them. Went on vacation last year and happened upon one in Tampa. Can’t wait! Yay!!!
Just another place for another generation of young people to destroy their health..
Just remember every time you take a bite of that juicy burger and chow down on those greasy fries, that are just dripping with fat and covered with salt, that you are another step closer to having that open heart surgery when you reach middle age….
Yeah, this is a wonderfull idea!
I’m sure people will read that, see the word “donuts” in your name…and take your advice to heart.
Good to hear!! Getting a Buffalo Wild Wings & a Five Guys :) Now if only we could get a Chick-Fil-A or a Popeyes :)
Can’t have enough chains
I just checked with my source and as usual, i got it backwards. Red Robin is supposed to be taking the place of Beef O’ Brady’s that just shut down…they should do an amazing business over there near the Brewer Wally World and will bring traffic back over into Brewer.
I was wondering if Beef O’ Brady’s shut down. Food wasn’t horrible for the price. Wonder what made them go under.
better priced that red robin…sheesh $10.50 the other day
Oh how exciting,a hamburger chain
BDN
Right next to Wal-Mart…great marketing campaign, this place should be busy.
I still want an In N’ Out up here
Berts was the best, 2:00am, cheeseboiger, kechup oignon, pas mutards, des fries.
My family loves the 5 Guys here in Colo Springs. Great burgers with awesome selection of toppings. Fries are not crisp–more like “boardwalk” style, good with malt vinegar and extra salt. The “regular” burger is a double and with toppings weighs in over a pound. Interesting that the article didnt say whether the owner would use Maine potatoes. The 5 Guys here always lists the farm that his current batch is from, usually Idaho or Wash state.
Meh. Just another chain, and overpriced at that.