What began as a relentless pursuit to serve fresh, made-to-order food rooted in American tradition has, over time, turned into one of the UAE’s most recognised F&B names. Few brands have managed to bridge cultural familiarity and local relevance the way Five Guys has.
Cut to the present, Five Guys’ UAE chapter with Shamal Holding celebrates its 10-year journey in the region, its success speaking to a reciprocal resolve to diversify the region’s F&B portfolio — cultivating high-quality, distinctive dining experiences. In conversation with IMAGES RetailME, Sudhin Siva, Chief Asset Management Officer, Shamal, takes us through Five Guys’ most telling moments and milestones over the last decade.
Five Guys’ UAE journey is about strategic placement, where decisions like opening in Dubai Mall weren’t just bold, they were calibrated bets on visibility, volume, and brand equity. Anchored on quality, consistency, and customer centricity, each location has proved to be a steady growth lever. Today, Five Guys operates across 15 locations across four Emirates, including high-traffic and lifestyle destinations like Galleria Mall Abu Dhabi, JBR, Al Hamra Mall in Ras Al Khaimah, and Al Jada Avenue in Sharjah.
“We look at a mix of hard data, including footfall, demographic fit, accessibility, and delivery demand as well as softer indicators, like cultural resonance of the neighborhood. For instance, JBR and Town Square are very different communities, but both have a high density of loyal, food-loving customers who appreciate quality and convenience,” explains Siva.
But strategic location selection is only the first brick in a solid foundation that cements the brand’s success in a fast-evolving, high-expectation market. Reinforcing this is a distinct nod to its American roots—the choice to feature open kitchens, a move that builds transparency and trust where customers can see food being prepared in real time.
Siva points to a few defining moments: “Another milestone was our investment in local supply chain partnerships and a fully halal menu, allowing us to maintain our global quality promise while respecting regional requirements.”
“And, of course, the launch of our largest UAE branch at Dubai International Airport marked a major moment for us, giving us access to a truly global audience and reflecting our ambition to continually raise the bar,” he adds.
Built for speed, scale, and cultural nuance, the airport store was designed with the traveller in mind, from staff training geared for high turnover hours to kitchen layouts made to handle peak flows.
More than just a regional first, the DXB outlet also holds the distinction of being the first-ever licensed Five Guys airport location outside the U.S., a move that brings the brand’s signature experience to business flyers and holidaymakers.
The twin factors of location selection and an unflinching commitment to quality standards continue to serve as the backbone of Five Guys’ regional strategy.
To maintain operational consistency—a classic mix of hard data and human insight guides Five Guys’ path forward. Performance analytics from existing locations and delivery platforms help spot underserved areas. Customer feedback plays a significant role in guiding expansion decisions, often revealing pockets of demand that data alone might miss.
“When people tell us they want a Five Guys closer to their homes or offices, we listen. Ultimately, every location we choose must meet one simple test: Can we deliver the same quality of food, service, and experience that Five Guys is known for? If the answer is yes, we go all in,” stresses Siva.
Additionally, he says, “We monitor feedback across all platforms such as Google reviews, social media, delivery apps, and in-store interactions to use that data to drive improvements. If customers at a certain location are asking for extended hours, we evaluate feasibility. We also use tech to train our teams more effectively, ensuring that no matter which Five Guys you walk into, the experience feels just right.”
Customisation sits at the heart of Five Guys, where a philosophy of no microwaves, no freezers, and no timers—just freshly prepared meals- is paired with the option for guests to personalise their orders in over 250,000 ways.
The mutuality of premium ingredients and a proven format aids flexibility that caters to local preferences without deviating from global standards. More importantly, Siva highlights, “We also made a deliberate choice to ensure our entire UAE menu is halal-compliant. This wasn’t just a checkbox exercise, considering how closely we work with suppliers and our operations team to ensure transparency and consistency at every step.”
Digging deeper into the brand’s approach to ingredient integrity and preparation precision, he adds, “Our buns are freshly baked locally, made using an authentic secret recipe unique to Five Guys. Our fries are also unique, unpeeled boardwalk style and hand cut in-store from scratch, they are fried twice, shaken exactly 15 times and either salted or seasoned with Cajun spice.”
Each layer of the menu, from fresh-baked buns to made-to-order fries, cements a decade-long commitment to serve not just food, but familiarity, quality, and care, at scale.
Evolving consumer expectations, shifting lifestyle patterns, and rapid digitisation have made the UAE’s foodservice landscape one of the most competitive and innovative in the world. It’s a space that presents both a challenge and a powerful opportunity to meet people where, when, and how they choose to dine.
In response to these intricacies of the industry, Siva asserts, “Our strategy is to stay obsessively focused on quality while being agile in our operations. We’re doubling down on convenience, whether through breakfast offerings now available across stores, 24/7 locations, or new limited-time additions such as the Coffee and Mango milkshake, while also reinforcing what sets us apart: fresh, made-to-order food, served simply and with care.”
For Siva, the opportunity lies in balancing authenticity with adaptability, the core of Five Guys’ long-term advantage. For Five Guys, the fundamentals of a strong brand, loyal customer base, and passionate team are in place. The next chapter is about scaling without compromise.
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