Five Guys Burgers Find Natural State

There’s no doubt Fayetteville gets better Razorbacks football games than Little Rock, but central Arkansas apparently is getting a leg up on Northwest Arkansas in an area almost as important — cheeseburgers.

r

After hearing rumors of the Five Guys Burgers and Fries chain making its way to the Natural State, we did a little investigating. Turns out one of the restaurants is scheduled to open in North Little Rock this fall, with another location in Little Rock possibly coming in 2010.

r

As for Northwest Arkansas?

r

“I don’t see anything planned for that area,” a Five Guys spokesperson said. “Sorry.”

r

If you’re wondering what all the fuss is about, Five Guys has exploded in popularity recently. According to the Wall Street Journal, the first store opened in 1986 in Arlington, Va., and had five locations when it began offering franchises in 2001. The company now boasts more than 300 locations in 25 states.

r

President Barack Obama took NBC anchorman Brian Williams for a Five Guys burger on national television recently, and supermodel Gisele Bundchen caused an Internet stir when she was spotted grabbing a burger at a location in Manhattan.

r

According to a recent regulatory filing, Five Guys also raised $10 million in equity funding toward a targeted round of $15 million.