Have you ever wondered how the burgers at Five Guys are prepped before cooking? Well, wonder no more: One worker is giving you the inside look in a viral TikTok.
The video comes from the account Five Guys POV (@lettucegettowork).“This is how meat is prepped at Five Guys,” a voiceover begins in an ASMR-like whisper as a worker rips the tape off a box of hamburger meat. Next, the worker places four double packs of hamburger patties on a “bloody” baking tray. Another worker then appears, and they both open the packages and flip the meat onto the tray.
“Nasty blood,” the TikToker writes in an on-screen caption accompanied by a crying emoji and a nauseated face emoji. The workers then split the patties apart and weigh them one by one before transferring them to a clean baking tray.
“Time to smash them,” reads the on-screen caption with a boxing glove emoji. The workers place patties between two small squares of parchment paper and smash them with a burger press. Then they put the neat stacks of smashed burgers into two large food containers. One of the workers labels the containers, presumably with information as to when the burgers were prepped to ensure freshness.
“All done,” the voiceover whispers as the worker neatly places the containers on the cold storage shelf.
In the video’s caption, the TikToker writes, “This is why ur burger costs $2,000.”
‘Just put my endless fries in the bag bro’
In the comments section, viewers had mixed responses. Some were glad that the meat was “real,” while others were upset that it came “frozen,” considering how much burgers at the chain cost. Even some workers chimed in and remarked that they were jealous because their locations didn’t have pre-weighed patties.
One viewer said, “I suddenly don’t want five guys anymore I thought it was fresh ground beef with the prices they charge. it’s just frozen.”
In contrast, a second said, “I’m not mad. This actually made me feel better about the price. Thank ya.”
Another viewer just chimed in to dispel us of our false notions about the red liquid surrounding raw meat. “The red juice isn’t blood, it’s actually just water and myoglobin,” they wrote.
Even a meat supplier joined the conversation. Schweid & Sons wrote, “We love Five Guys! We have been one of their fresh ground beef suppliers since 2002. Happy to confirm that it is FRESH.”
Is this really why Five Guys costs so much compared to other burger joints?
In an article about why Five Guys is more expensive than its competitors, Food Republic notes that part of the reason is because the restaurant allows customers to include as many of the 15 toppings it offers to any of its burgers (which will set you back $10-11, depending on your market—not including fries or a drink) or sandwiches for “free.” So, the initial higher price upfront gets you more benefits in the long run. However, if you don’t need a bunch of toppings, the outlet says you may be better off going to a cheaper restaurant. For example, Mickey D’s.
@lettucegettowork This is why ur burger costs $2,000 ??? #fiveguys #fyp #fastfood #burgers #fries? ♬ Remix my humps – Amanda Araújo
The second reason it notes pertains to what we saw in the video. The outlet states, “The fast-casual chain prides itself on its fresh, never-frozen ingredients. It’s one of the 5 fast food chains that uses 100% pure beef, after all (but so does the much cheaper In-N-Out).”
The outlet notes that “the meat doesn’t even arrive at restaurants pre-formed,” but we see in the video that this isn’t true for all locations. However, for locations where the meat does not come pre-formed, as some commenters indicated, “Part of the daily routine for Five Guys employees is to unpack the ground beef, hand-form the patties into spheres, and then press them into burgers using a special tool,” the outlet states. “(Whatever is left after three shifts gets tossed into the garbage.)”
The Mary Sue contacted Five Guys POV via TikTok comment and direct message. It contacted Five Guys via press email.
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