Five Guys cheers UK sales rise but expansion costs bite

UK losses have widened at Five Guys, the burger chain backed by entrepreneur Sir Charles Dunstone, after expansion costs bit, new accounts reveal.

The UK business, a 50:50 joint venture between Dunstone and Five Guys’ US-based founders, the Murrell family, increased its estate to 88 restaurants from 79 in 2018.

It recorded a pretax loss of £3.9 million, compared to a £3.1 million loss a year earlier.

However, operating profits were up, and the firm notched up sales of £149.6 million- up 23%.

John Eckbert, who leads the company in Britain, said comparable sales are up more than 10% so far in 2019.

He added: “Here in the UK, we are now into our third consecutive year of operating profitability, which is growing at a faster rate than our sales.”