[News Inside Companies] Went all the way to Hong Kong to grill patties... Hanwha's youngest son also fell for the 'Peanut Oil' Hamburger

Famous 'Peanut Oil' Used for Frying
Simple Store Interior with Red, White, and Checkered Patterns
Investing in Food... Focusing on 'Fresh Hamburgers'

Kim Dong-seon, head of strategy at Hanwha Galleria and the third son of Hanwha Group Chairman Kim Seung-yeon, has drawn attention to the hamburger brand 'Five Guys' as he undertook service training at the famous American hamburger chain.

According to Hanwha Galleria on the 9th, Kim began on May 24th a two-day on-site training at two major Five Guys stores in Hong Kong. During the training, Kim wore a red uniform and apron alongside employees, experiencing the entire service process from ingredient preparation to grilling patties and adding toppings. Kim said, "Throughout the training, I truly felt the meaning of 'handcrafted premium burgers,'" adding, "I realized that the burgers are made with much more care and completeness than I had originally thought." Kim personally led the introduction of Five Guys to Korea.

Kim Dong-seon, Head of Strategy at Hanwha Galleria, is learning how to combine various types of toppings at a Five Guys store in Hong Kong at the end of last month. Photo by Hanwha Galleria

Five Guys first opened in 1986 as a small store without seating in Arlington, Virginia. Alongside Shake Shack and In-N-Out, it is considered one of the top three burger brands in the United States. It gained further fame when former U.S. President Barack Obama visited a Five Guys store in Dupont Circle, Washington D.C., during the filming of NBC's program "A Day in the White House" in June 2009, earning the nickname "Obama Burger."

After starting franchising in North America in the early 2000s, Five Guys began its global expansion in 2013 with entry into the United Kingdom. Currently, it operates about 1,700 stores across 23 countries, mainly in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., France, and Germany. In Asia, Five Guys stores are located in Hong Kong, Singapore, China, Malaysia, and Macau, with South Korea being the sixth country of entry.

In June 2009, then U.S. President Barack Obama visited Five Guys and ordered a hamburger. Photo by Yonhap News

The founding story is also interesting. Founder Jerry Murrell moved to Virginia with his three sons from his second marriage after divorcing his first wife and worked in stocks and bonds. He asked his then high school-aged sons, Jim and Matt, whether they wanted to go to college or start a food business. Without hesitation, the two sons chose the business, and Murrell used their college tuition money to open the store.

The reason for choosing hamburgers as the startup item was inspired by Murrell's mother, who taught him that in America, one could make money by excelling in services like barbering, hamburgers, or alcohol sales. Additionally, the peanut oil used for frying various items at Five Guys was inspired by the high-quality fries fried in peanut oil that Murrell noticed while in Ocean City, Maryland.

Five Guys is also famous for its family management. The name "Five Guys," meaning "five men," refers to Murrell's five sons. Regarding this management structure, Murrell said in a September 2017 interview with Maeil Business Newspaper, "Since many family members are involved, there are inevitably diverse opinions, but conflicts among members allow us to consider all perspectives," adding, "We are not considering any other management style besides family business." It is known that not only Murrell's sons but also his grandchildren across generations are involved in the business.

Photo by Five Guys and Fries website

The interior of Five Guys stores consists solely of red and white checkered patterns. This reflects Murrell's operational philosophy. Before officially opening Five Guys, Murrell stayed at a hotel and happened to read a book by the founder of Marriott Hotels, where he strongly agreed with the statement, "If you create good products in a clean space and offer them at reasonable prices, anyone can make money in the food business."

Even now, Five Guys stores do not have fancy decorations or separate interior designs. Instead of investing in interiors, all investment goes into the food. In fact, to prepare fresh burgers, the stores do not have freezers, timers, or microwaves. The signature menu is the cheeseburger, and the service allowing customers to create their own burger in up to 250,000 different ways according to personal preferences is also popular. The first Five Guys store in Korea is scheduled to open in June in the heart of Gangnam-daero, between Gangnam Station and Sinnonhyeon Station in Seoul.