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Business & Tech

Westwood Residents Await Opening of Five Guys

The burger chain's management says its Glendon Avenue location will welcome customers sometime this year.

Designer burger joints are popping up on every street corner, each one claiming to have a better bun, more gourmet choices of toppings or a tastier aioli for its sweet potato fries. That all sounds fun and fancy, but sometimes folks just want a good old-fashioned customizable burger. That's the philosophy at Five Guys Burgers and Fries, which will open sometime this year at the former site of Pastagina on Glendon Avenue.

“The Westwood location is probably still about five or six months out. We don’t have the exact date available yet but I know we’re working hard on it,” said Aleida Ramirez, assistant manager of the esteemed burger chain's new Culver City location. 

Customer Jeff Woods says the addition of the burger chain is just what Westwood needs. “I like In-N-Out Burger but sometimes their menu is too boring. When I go to Five Guys I can actually get bacon on my burger and sometimes I’m in the mood for a bacon dog.”

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Woods makes frequent trips to the Culver City branch while he waits for the Westwood Five Guys to open. “I go to the Westfield Mall a lot and sometimes a burger goes really well with shopping for gear,” he joked.

Five Guys, said to be giving In-N-Out a run for its money, has soared in popularity due to its savory burgers. Reports that President Obama visited the Washington, D.C., location, armed with an entourage of police escorts, media and ambulances, to order a burger and fries didn’t hurt the Five Guys reputation either.

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Five Guys Burgers and Fries' menu includes a variety of burgers as well as hot dogs, grilled cheese, fries and Coke. The simple menu design is similar to that of In-N-Out Burger, focusing on a few specialty items.

Unlike In-N-Out, however, Five Guys offers a plethora of free toppings including relish, jalapeno peppers, hot sauce, grilled mushrooms and green peppers.

Molly Catalano, a spokesperson for Five Guys,  said that although the chain attracts a similar customer base as In-N-Out Burger, her company draws people who want more than just a simple hamburger.

The Culver City spot opened its doors officially on April 29 and Ramirez says the community has shown its appreciation by keeping the cooks busy flipping burgers.

“Every single city that we open in has been really busy—better than expected,” said Ramirez. 

Whether Five Guys eventually has longer lines in the Village than those at In-N-Out remains to be seen, but in the meantime Westwood residents are looking forward to having another choice when it comes to burgers. 

“Sometimes I’ll go to In-N-Out Burger. Sometimes I’ll go to Five Guys and I also can’t forget about the good burgers at BJ’s,” said customer Dustin Downing.

Besides Westwood, Five Guys is planning several other new locations in Orange County and the San Fernando Valley. For more information, go the Five Guys website

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