Five Guys opened Tuesday in the Stop & Shop Plaza in Pittsfield.
Customers were lined up for the debut of Five Guys' famed burgers. Writer Joe Durwin was No. 90.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Five Guys Burger and Fries opened to a steady stream of first-time lunch customers Tuesday at its new Pittsfield location at 660 Merrill Road in the Stop & Shop Plaza.
Nearly 100 customers were served in the first half-hour by a bustling staff of 15 workers. The establishment employs a total of 45, according to its manager, Tom Pierog.
"We just opened, but so far, so good," he said.
The restaurant's bright white and red interior is heavily decorated with signs advertising various awards and favorable reviews from publications areas around the country, such as the Chicago Tribune, New York Daily News, Washington Post and GQ Magazine.
As its name suggests, Five Guys' simple menu consists mainly of burgers and fries, as well as hot dogs and veggie and cheese sandwiches. Burgers range in price from around $4 to $6, with fries running from around $3 to $5.
Five Guys began renovating the former Falcetti Music store location in late spring, but had encountered "issues" that lead to delay, according to Building Commissioner Gerald Gardner last month, who did not disclose the nature of those issues.
Since Five Guys began preparing the Merrill Road location, its nearest fast-food competitor, a Burger King franchise located next door to the plaza, has closed for business, along with two other area locations controlled by the same owner. While originally said to be temporary, the locations soon after had all Burger King signage stripped from the buildings in what appears to be a more permanent closure.
Customers surveyed leaving from the new restaurant's first lunch rush (and probably heading back to work) were short on words but big on enthusiasm. A number of "greats" and a couple of "yums" as they went about their way, while one young man flashed a dramatic thumbs up to this correspondent as he slid the last of his fries in his mouth.
Five Guys Burgers and Fries is open 11 to 10 seven days a week. The full menu and more information, including online ordering (but, alas, no delivery), can be found at www.fiveguys.com.
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Stephanie Farrington of