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Five Guys, the popular burger chain known for its fresh ingredients and customizable burgers, has come under fire after a receipt for one person’s meal went viral on social media. The receipt, which showed a bacon cheeseburger, small fries, and a drink totaling over $24 (with $2.19 tip included), caused a social media firestorm over the chain’s unusually high pricing for a fast food chain.
Granted, Five Guy’s has better quality fare than the average fast food joint but how much is too much, and where does it end? A Little Fry runs at $5.19, which is no chump change, and a hamburger with no fixings? $9.99, and it costs $1.89 more just to include a slice of cheese!
Once you start loading on the toppings, that price adds up quick. And this is where we run into a $24 meal for one person that riles up the masses.
The Viral $24 Receipt For One
Social media user, Wall Street Silver shared a photo of hits receipt, he captioned with: “Five Guys prices are out of control” It quickly racked up millions of views. The breakdown of the order included:
- Bacon cheeseburger: $12.49
- Small fries: $5.19
- Regular soda: $2.89
- Tax: $1.34
- Tip: $2.19
- Total: $24.10
The high cost for just one person, particularly for the small fries, outraged the platform spurring over 12,000 replies. Many felt that Five Guys, traditionally positioned as a premium fast-food experience, had crossed a line into unreasonable pricing territory.
A fictional party of four ordering the same meal at Five Guys would come to about $96.40. This is a fast food chain we’re talking about. At this point you might as well go somewhere like Applebee’s and order the 2 for $20 (enough for two people no less) which includes an entree, and an appetizer. And it would still come to less than the Five Guy’s small fry meal…with more food to boot.
Here’s a glimpse into some comments on the $24 receipt post that caused the social media firestorm:
- “5 dollars for a small fry is highway robbery. It’s literally just a potato and some salt. Cost them a quarter to make.”
- “Five Guys has now become Five Times… the inflation”
- “Five guys was always overpriced. Same meal was $15 ten years ago.”
Obviously the Five Guys incident is part of a larger conversation about the ever-lessening affordability of fast food. With rising inflation impacting food costs, many consumers are looking for ways to stretch their budgets. This has led to a surge in popularity for value menus and discount chains.
Five Guys has yet to issue an official statement regarding the viral receipt or the broader price debate, but he company has historically focused on its commitment to fresh, never-frozen ingredients and its generous portions.
With more customers questioning higher prices, and shrinking portions, fast food chains like Five Guy’s are increasingly finding themselves under a burger-sized magnifying glass.
The $24 receipt post on X has since reached over 25 million views with 12,000 replies. And counting.
