Five Guys Burgers & Fries Opens in Allston on Monday
Five Guys Burgers & Fries in Allston. / Boston Magazine photo
The days of only two options for a decently-cheap burger and fries on a certain block of Commonwealth Avenue in Allston are nearly over: Five Guys Burgers & Fries opens on the corner of Harvard Ave. on Monday.
The latest outpost of the mid-Atlantic burger chain is situated directly across the street from McDonald’s. The Avenue, a popular spot for draft beer and $2 late-night burgers, is just a couple doors away. (The Ave has renovation plans in the works; owner Douglas Bacon has a SoCal-style bar in mind, called the Surf, Universal Hub reported. But for now, it’s mainly griddled burgers in the sub-$7 price range.)
Founded in Virginia in 1986, Five Guys has built up a following, evidenced by more than 1,300 locations around the country, with nearly 40 just in Massachusetts. The majority of its shops are franchise-owned, including the new Allston shop. Five Guys has built its business on carry-out burgers, hand-cut fries, hot dogs, and milkshakes. The Allston location will offer the chilly confection, the company’s senior communications manager, Lauren Lewis, confirmed.
Five Guys is taking over a long-empty storefront that housed a short-lived outpost of Kelly’s Roast Beef. The restaurant is 1,890 square feet, with seating for 35 inside.
Elsewhere in Massachusetts, the company is currently working on two other locations. Five Guys is under construction in Sutton, slated to open this spring; and it has signed a lease at 68 Washington St., South Attleboro. There isn’t a projected timeline for that shop yet, Lewis says. Five Guys always has an eye on Massachusetts real estate, she added.
“We like the area, we like the customers, and we’re always looking, especially in areas that we’re expanding it,” she says.
If you need a burger after Allston/Brighton bar hopping, McD’s or the Ave will still be your best bets, as both are open ’til 2 a.m. Five Guys will be open daily in Allston from 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
Five Guys Burgers & Fries, 1227 Commonwealth Ave., Boston; fiveguys.com.
