The original “Five Guys” were Jerry Murrell and his four sons. When the family launched the business in 1986, those sons were Jim, Matt, Chad, and Ben, making five people in the group honored by the name.
Janie and Jerry Murrell founded the company, but the name referred specifically to Jerry and the four sons involved at the beginning. The first restaurant opened in Arlington, Virginia, at the Westmont Shopping Center, where the family began building its burger-and-fries concept.
The main source of confusion is the Murrell family’s later growth. A fifth son, Tyler, was born two years after the chain began. All five sons eventually became involved in the business, but Tyler was not one of the four sons represented in the original founding lineup.
Five Guys initially expanded through several Virginia locations before franchising accelerated its growth in the early 2000s. Its early identity remained centered on burgers, hand-prepared fries, and a family-operated business model.