Five Guys Burgers and Fries Headed to Northwest Arkansas

Remember last issue, in which we told you Five Guys Burgers and Fries is coming to Little Rock, but not Northwest Arkansas?

Not so fast, says Laurie Lowe.

Lowe should know. She owns the franchise rights in Arkansas, and said she hopes to have a location up and running in our corner of the state sometime in the fourth quarter of 2010.

That was welcome news to us, and might be to the Five Guys contact who unwittingly gave us erroneous info. Regardless, Lowe said she plans to open as many as three Northwest Arkansas locations, including Fort Smith.

Lowe first tasted Five Guys food while attending college in Virginia, and has picked Arkansas as a place of business because of her roots here. Lowe’s grandfather is from Gillett, and she made frequent vacation trips to Hot Springs with her parents while growing up in Dallas.

Lowe hopes to visit Northwest Arkansas in the next couple of weeks to scout locations. She said most of the restaurants are placed in shopping centers because they consist of only 2,000 to 2,500 SF.

When Five Guys does open in Northwest Arkansas, customers will have a chance to meet Lowe, who said she typically spends about six months working shifts at each of her new restaurants.

“I get in there and flip burgers for a while before I move on to the next store,” Lowe said. “It’s a good way to meet your customers and get to know your employees.”