Five Guys CEO, Jerry Murrell, has been on the news a lot lately. For the 40th anniversary of the burger restaurant, Five Guys, he pulled a stunt that, in retrospect, even he would agree was a bit too demanding for his staff. So now he’s offering them a bonus because, as he puts it, “I didn’t want anyone shooting me.”
Fast food restaurants will always be cause for debate. Chains like Popeyes always find a way to cause tantrums from their customers through beloved pies and chicken sandwiches. Five Guys is also known to cause a little controversy in its customer base with their unexpected menu changes.
However, for their 40th anniversary, the change was extremely welcomed — so much so that it caused an issue internally. In Feb., Five Guys did a two-for-one promo to celebrate their longevity. But it turns out the customers were a bit more enthusiastic about it than they initially anticipated. Luckily, thanks to online orders, you’re unlikely to see a stampede for anything these days.
What instead happened was the Five Guys app crashed, and many outlets nationwide got so overwhelmed they had to stop the offer early in the day. Online, customers called out the burger restaurant, and there were a few videos of people acting belligerent about what they believed they were entitled to at outlets. Needless to say, the staff had a long and unpleasant day. They, of all people, deserved to also enjoy the 40th anniversary of the company they helped build.
According to The Guardian, Murrell acknowledges that too. He first apologized to his staff in the 1,500 outlets they have across America and added a $1.5 million bonus for their woes. Murrell joked, “I didn’t want anybody shooting me in the back or anything … because we really screwed it up.” He continued, “We had no idea that we were going to get that kind of response.”
It’s less than a year since the UnitedHealthcare CEO, Brian Thompson, was killed in New York after coming out of a meeting early in the morning. The case is still ongoing, but a manifesto leaked from the main suspect said he did it because he believed Thompson was negligent in his role as custodian of health services for millions across America. Murrell’s statement was tongue-in-cheek, but deep down he understands his role is to first take care of people.
He also assured customers that he will soon take care of them too, writing to them, “You visited our restaurants in overwhelming numbers, and we weren’t ready for you. We didn’t meet our own standards, and that’s not something we take lightly. So we’re asking for a do-over.”
Almost every other day, a tech CEO releases a statement announcing that they’ve cut off thousands of employees. Not because of losses, but because AI offers them an opportunity to make the same amount of revenue without having to pay salaries. Announcing a bonus for staff might not have been the main promo for 40 years of Five Guys, it might not have even been the original plan. But it’s very likely that this will be the most effective campaign a fast food restaurant does all year. This is how you touch the people.
Published: Apr 2, 2026 08:02 am