The Five Guys logo is an effective means of self-expression because regular restaurant visitors are well familiar with this red inscription in large letters. The signature font and bright color attract attention, while the pattern of squares in the full version of the emblem serves as an excellent complement to the wordmark.
Five Guys: Brand overview
Founded: | 1986 |
Founder: | Jerry Murrell, Janie Murrel |
Headquarters: |
Lorton, Virginia, United States |
Website: | fiveguys.com |
Meaning and History
In reality, the Five Guys chain was named after four brothers (Ben, Chad, Matt, Jim) and their father (Jerry), but then Tyler was born and became the “fifth guy” mentioned in the name. Each member of the Murrell family found their own role: one oversees bakeries, another deal with IT, the third instructs managers, the fourth controls the opening of new restaurants, and the fifth took on helping to manage the business. It all started with the older sons – Jim and Matt. When they were finishing school, their parents gave them a choice: spend their savings on education or invest them in a hamburger shop. The brothers did not want to go to college, so they enthusiastically took on the job.
The Murrell family not only took care of expanding the chain of restaurants but also its visual identification. So, the formula for Five Guys’ success is simple: burgers with patties made from fresh ground beef, french fries fried in peanut oil, and a memorable logo that always contained a red inscription. Its creators deliberately chose a well-visible color and enlarged the brand name so that the letters would catch the eye. The font was changed once – apparently, designers decided to make the wordmark minimalist, getting rid of serifs.
What is Five Guys?
Five Guys is an American chain of restaurants named after the five brothers who took the lead in the family business. Its first hamburger shop was opened in 1986 in Arlington. Later, new establishments were added, adhering to strict culinary rules. Cooks in the kitchen strictly avoid using timers, only fry products in peanut oil, shake the french fries exactly 15 times, and make patties solely from fresh Scottish ground beef. Everything is prepared daily from scratch, evidenced by the absence of freezers.
1986 – 2005
The debut logo of Five Guys was multi-component. Traditionally, the center featured the restaurant chain’s name, occupying the first line. A serif font in uppercase was used for it. It was contrasting, meaning that the primary and secondary strokes of all glyphs had different thicknesses. The italic word “FAMOUS” was placed slightly below, and below it – the phrase “BURGERS and FRIES,” consisting of thin, straight letters. Lowercase letters were only used for the article “and.” Designers made all inscriptions red and aligned them by width. Additionally, they adorned the emblem with patterns in the form of alternating red and white squares. One long row of checkers was placed at the top, with the second parallel to it at the bottom.
2005 – today
Two years after starting franchising, the network began to grow rapidly, and it needed new branding. By that time, it had attracted the attention of the national press and trade organizations, so it had to be represented by a solid logo meeting modern standards. Five Guys restaurants continue to use the wordmark with their name. Now the letters have no serifs, and all strokes are equally bold. At the same time, the font remained uppercase. The color, as before, is dark red. In the second line, in an old-fashioned way, “BURGERS and FRIES” is written in thin letters.
The Five Guys emblem reflects the name of this chain of restaurants. Designers made it large and red to attract the attention of potential customers. This approach shows that the private family company pays great attention to its origin and emphasizes it in every way in its identity.
Font and Colors
The Five Guys wordmark is made in a bold geometric font similar to Helvetica Black. In turn, the phrase “BURGERS and FRIES” uses Tekton Bold, designed in the early 1990s by American designer David Siegel and inspired by the manuscripts of famous architect and author Frank Ching. As for the main color of the emblem, it was and remains red (#C92027) – a symbol of love and energy. It is believed to be able to awaken appetite, which is the main condition for a chain of restaurants.
Five Guys color codes
Fire Engine Red | Hex color: | #c92027 |
---|---|---|
RGB: | 201 32 39 | |
CMYK: | 0 84 81 21 | |
Pantone: | PMS 485 C |