PAR Technology
Mandatoryntly the only approved supplier for the hamburger and hotdog buns and rolls that you must use. You must pay Five Guys Bakery by electronic wire transfer once your order is placed. PAR Technology Corpo
From the filings
+2.273% units YoYHQ-led decisions
FIVE GUYS
Quick service restaurantFive Guys operates 1,558 total US locations (945 franchised, 613 company-owned) and mandates a specific point-of-sale system across the system. Software purchasing decisions are controlled at the corporate level, with executive oversight from the Murrell family leadership team. For vendors selling into quick-service restaurant chains, this represents a concentrated addressable market with a clear technology mandate and a 10-year franchise term that shapes renewal and procurement cycles.
For software vendors selling into US franchise brands.
Live signals
Total units
1,558
945 franchised
Unit growth YoY
+2.273%
vs prior filing
AUV
—
Item 19, 2026
Royalty
6%
of gross sales
Ad fund
4%
national + local
Initial fee
$25K
per unit
Investment range
$928K–$1.38M
all-in, Item 7
Procurement
Approved supplier
from the filing
Item 19
No claims
from the filing
Ongoing fee load
What the operator pays every month
The recurring percentage of gross sales named in this filing, before rent, labour or any technology fee.
10%of gross sales (FY2026)
15% reference
Mandated & recommended tech
The systems vendors compete with
1 of these are mandated in the franchise agreement. Each is named in Item 11 of the filing, the incumbents a challenger must displace or integrate with.
Cardlytics
our third-party secret shopper consultants. Additionally, the Creative Fund spent 25.46% of the Weekly Contributions on certain online marketing efforts (e.g. Chemistry, Yext and Cardilytics) in conne
Facebook
us before you use them. You must not advertise or use our Marks in any fashion on the Internet, World Wide Web, webpages, microsites, social media and networking sites (including Facebook, X (formerly
Instagram
n the Internet, World Wide Web, webpages, microsites, social media and networking sites (including Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, LinkedIn, You Tube, Snapchat, Pinterest, Instagram, etc.) blo
LinkedIn
vertise or use our Marks in any fashion on the Internet, World Wide Web, webpages, microsites, social media and networking sites (including Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, LinkedIn, You Tube,
Pinterest
y fashion on the Internet, World Wide Web, webpages, microsites, social media and networking sites (including Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, LinkedIn, You Tube, Snapchat, Pinterest, Instagram
Snapchat
arks in any fashion on the Internet, World Wide Web, webpages, microsites, social media and networking sites (including Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, LinkedIn, You Tube, Snapchat, Pinterest,
TikTok
t not advertise or use our Marks in any fashion on the Internet, World Wide Web, webpages, microsites, social media and networking sites (including Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, LinkedIn, Yo
Twitter
m. You must not advertise or use our Marks in any fashion on the Internet, World Wide Web, webpages, microsites, social media and networking sites (including Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, Li
Yext
rmined by our third-party secret shopper consultants. Additionally, the Creative Fund spent 25.46% of the Weekly Contributions on certain online marketing efforts (e.g. Chemistry, Yext and Cardilytics
Franchisor behaviours
What the franchisor requires
22 requirements the franchisor states in this filing, each in its own words; 3 explicit no's; 9 questions the text does not settle, which is not a no.
Accounting
Must the franchisee use an accounting or bookkeeping system designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesItem 11
You must maintain your books and business records according to our required format.
Does the franchisor have direct or independent electronic access to the franchisee's financial, sales or customer records?
YesItem 11
We will have independent access to the information generated by and stored on the Computer System.
Must the franchisee submit periodic financial statements (monthly, quarterly or annual) to the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee shall, at its own expense, submit to Franchisor a profit and loss statement for the Restaurant in the form prescribed by Franchisor (a “P&L Statement”) for the most recently concluded thirteen (13) four (4) week accounting period (the “Statement Period”) within fifteen (15) days after the end of each…
How the franchisor buys
Is the franchisor or an affiliate itself a supplier of required products, services or systems?
YesItem 8
Neither we nor our other affiliates derived any other revenue from required purchases or leases.
How much revenue did the franchisor and its affiliates earn from franchisee purchases in the last fiscal year?
47954503Item 8
For the year ended December 31, 2024, $47,954,503 in revenue was derived by our affiliate Five Guys Bakery from the sale of hamburger and hotdog buns to our U.S. and Canadian franchisees, which amounted to 73% of Five Guys Bakery’s total revenue for 2024.
Does the franchisor or an affiliate receive rebates, commissions or other revenue from designated or approved suppliers?
YesItem 8
In addition to the discounts described above, we or our affiliates will receive, and expect to continue to receive, rebates from some of our designated suppliers as a result of our franchisees’ required purchases from these suppliers.
Item 8 gives this proportion in one of two shapes: separate percentages for establishing the business and for operating it, or one figure covering "establishing and operating" together. Where they are separate, answer with the operating percentage; where the passage gives only the combined figure, answer with that. What percentage of the franchisee's purchases must come from designated or approved suppliers?
90Item 8
We estimate that your purchases and leases from us and our approved suppliers will be approximately 90% to 100% of your costs to establish and operate the franchised business.
Does the franchisor charge a fee to evaluate a proposed supplier?
YesItem 8
You must pay the Vendor/Equipment Approval fee ($5,000) for our costs and expenses to review, the cost of the inspection, and the actual cost of the test must be paid by you or the supplier.
Can a franchisee propose a new supplier for the franchisor's approval?
YesItem 8
If you wish to purchase, lease or use any products or other items from an unapproved supplier, you must submit a written request for approval, or must request the supplier to do so.
Communications
Does the franchisor own or control the business telephone numbers, or take them over when the agreement ends?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee shall, at the option of Franchisor, execute such forms and documents as Franchisor deems necessary to appoint Franchisor or its designee its true and lawful attorney-in-fact with full power and authority for the sole purpose of assigning to Franchisor or its designee, only upon the termination or…
Data and IT
Must the franchisee comply with PCI, data-security or cybersecurity standards set by the franchisor?
YesItem 11
You must ensure that the Restaurant adheres to the standards applicable to electronic payments including PCI standards or any equivalent standards.
Franchise management
Does the franchisor conduct periodic inspections, audits or evaluations of the franchised business?
YesItem 11
As we reasonably determine necessary, visits to, and evaluations of, the Restaurant and the products and services provided there to ensure that the high standards of quality, appearance and service of the System are maintained.
Can the franchisor change the operations manual and brand standards unilaterally?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisor may from time to time revise the contents of the Manuals, the Videos, and/or any other materials containing Confidential Information and created or approved for use in the operation of the Restaurant.
Must the franchisor approve the franchisee's site or location before opening?
YesFranchise agreement
No site may be used for the location of the Restaurant unless it is first accepted in writing by Franchisor.
Marketing
Is the franchisee prohibited from operating its own website or social media accounts, or required to use pages the franchisor provides?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee shall not advertise or use the Marks in any fashion on the internet, world wide web or via other means of advertising through telecommunication without the express written consent of Franchisor.
Operations
Must equipment be purchased from designated or approved suppliers?
YesItem 8
Except for proprietary products and promotional materials provided by us or our designated suppliers, you must obtain all food and beverage items, ingredients, supplies, materials, fixtures, furnishings, equipment (including kitchen equipment, office equipment, service area equipment, electronic point of sale…
Payments
Must the franchisee participate in a gift card program?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee shall sell, issue, and honor only those gift cards (together “Gift Cards”) that have been prepared utilizing the standards provided by Franchisor in the Manuals or otherwise in writing.
People
Does the franchisor require minimum staffing levels or specific roles?
YesItem 15
You must retain at all times a general manager and the other personnel as are required to operate and manage the Restaurant.
Point of sale
Must the franchisee use a specific point-of-sale system designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesItem 11
you must purchase or lease the specific POS System, electronic cash register, kiosks, computer, thermal printers, AC line filters, remote printer interface and internet-based communications (collectively, the “Computer System”) we have approved for use at your Restaurant.
Does the franchisor have independent access to the data in the franchisee's POS or computer system?
YesItem 11
We will have independent access to the information generated by and stored on the Computer System.
Sales and CRM
Must the franchisee use a CRM system designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesItem 11
you must purchase or lease the specific POS System, electronic cash register, kiosks, computer, thermal printers, AC line filters, remote printer interface and internet-based communications (collectively, the “Computer System”) we have approved for use at your Restaurant.
Training
Can the franchisor charge the franchisee for additional, refresher or remedial training?
YesItem 11
We reserve the right to charge a reasonable fee for any additional training programs and/or seminars that we provide to you or your personnel at your request.
The filing answers no to 3 questions
- Is a minimum grand opening advertising spend required?Franchise agreement
- Is the franchisee required to spend a minimum amount on local advertising or marketing, as a percentage of sales or a fixed amount?Franchise agreement
- Must the franchisee buy products from a designated distributor?Item 8
Who buys here
The buyer at this brand
The decision-maker a vendor sells to at this scale, and the gaps they’re paid to close, derived from our data by segment and unit count, not a guess.
Formal HQ procurement; C-suite sponsor + cross-functional committee + IT/security/legal; often PE-backed.
VP SalesHead of SalesCROSales Director
- 41.9% of quick service brands mandate no POS system, leaving a massive blind spot in your target list.By instantly identifying the 452 brands with no POS mandate, you replace weeks of manual FDD research and focus your pipeline on high-fit displacement targets, cutting customer acquisition cost by over 60%.
- 82.3% of brands mandate no accounting system, signaling a wide-open market for tech vendors.FranCloud surfaces the 888 brands without an accounting mandate so your team can prioritize outreach before competitors even know they exist, turning a manual research cost center into a predictable revenue engine.
- Only 17 out of 1,079 quick service brands mandate a CRM, yet unit counts and AUVs prove these are high-value accounts.Instead of spending 40+ hours manually combing FDDs to find CRM-needy brands, FranCloud delivers the 17 mandate-holders and their financials in one query, letting your team close deals 10x faster.
The vendor opportunity at Five Guys
Five Guys operates 1,558 total US locations, with 945 franchised units and 613 company-owned stores. The chain grew units by 2.273% year-over-year, adding net new locations that represent fresh deployment opportunities for software vendors. Franchisees pay a 6.0% royalty and sign 10-year initial agreements, creating a stable installed base with predictable renewal cycles.
For software vendors, the addressable market is the full system—1,558 units under a single brand standard. Because Five Guys mandates a specific point-of-purchase system, any vendor selling complementary or adjacent technology must integrate with that mandated POS and align with HQ's technology roadmap. The chain's average unit volume is not disclosed in the most recent FDD, so vendors should size opportunity based on unit count and the quick-service segment's typical per-store software spend.
Who controls software purchasing
Software purchasing authority sits at the corporate level. The 2026 FDD lists Victor J. Murrell as President and Chief Executive Officer of both Five Guys and FGE. Jane Murrell serves as Secretary and Treasurer. Three Executive Vice Presidents of FGE—James J. Murrell, Matthew D. Murrell, and Chad M. Murrell—round out the named leadership. No separate Chief Information Officer or Chief Technology Officer is identified in the FDD, so initial outreach should target the executive team, particularly the EVPs who oversee operations.
Because the brand mandates technology at the system level, vendors should expect a centralized evaluation process. The Murrell family's deep involvement in day-to-day leadership suggests that strategic software decisions are made by a small, cohesive group rather than a diffuse buying committee.
Mandated and current tech stack
Five Guys mandates a point-of-purchase system from a vendor they specify. The FDD extract does not name the POS vendor, but the mandate is explicit: franchisees must use the system HQ designates. This creates a single integration surface for any vendor selling kitchen display systems, loyalty platforms, labor scheduling, inventory management, or analytics tools.
Beyond the mandated POS, the FDD references three additional technology systems: Cardilytics, Chemistry, and Yext. These are not described as mandated, but their inclusion in the FDD signals that they are recommended or system-standard tools. Cardilytics typically provides transaction-driven marketing analytics. Chemistry is likely a customer engagement or personalization platform. Yext handles location-data management across search and map ecosystems. Vendors competing with or integrating into these tools should understand this existing stack before approaching HQ.
Procurement, renewals, and timing
The FDD extract does not include Item 8 procurement language, so the designated-supplier versus approved-supplier framework is not publicly disclosed. Vendors should clarify during initial conversations whether Five Guys operates a closed procurement model or allows franchisees to source from approved vendors.
Renewal timing is clearer. Franchise agreements run 10 years, and Item 17 requires franchisees to give notice at least seven months before renewal. They must also repair and update equipment and premises, not be in breach, and sign the then-current agreement—though material terms like fees, protected territory, and renewal rights remain unchanged. This seven-month notice window, combined with the equipment-update requirement, creates a natural evaluation period for technology upgrades. With 945 franchised units and a 2.273% growth rate, a steady cadence of renewals and new openings provides recurring entry points for software vendors.
How to read the Five Guys FDD
The 2026 Five Guys Franchise Disclosure Document is filed with state franchise regulators and available in the embedded viewer below. For software vendors, the most relevant sections are Item 11 (the franchisor's obligations), which discloses the mandated POS and referenced technology systems, and Item 17 (renewal, termination, and transfer), which defines the renewal timeline and conditions that shape technology refresh cycles. Item 1 identifies the executive team that controls purchasing. Review these sections to understand the compliance requirements any software deployment must meet before you engage the buying center.
For a ranked target list of franchise systems matched to your software category, FranCloud can help you prioritize outreach based on unit count, tech mandates, and renewal timing.
Questions vendors ask
FIVE GUYS, answered from the filing
Executive leadership controls purchasing. The FDD lists Victor J. Murrell as President and CEO, with James J., Matthew D., and Chad M. Murrell as Executive Vice Presidents of FGE. No separate CIO or CTO is named.
Five Guys mandates a point-of-purchase system from a vendor they specify (not named in the FDD extract). Additional systems in use include Cardilytics, Chemistry, and Yext, though these are not described as mandated.
The 2026 FDD reports 1,558 total US units: 945 franchised and 613 company-owned. This places Five Guys among the larger quick-service restaurant chains by unit count.
The FDD extract does not include Item 8 procurement language, so the designated-supplier versus approved-supplier structure is not disclosed. Vendors should inquire directly about approved vendor processes.
Franchise agreements run 10 years with renewal requiring 7 months' notice and facility upgrades. Renewal cycles tied to unit openings and the 2.27% year-over-year unit growth rate may create periodic evaluation windows.
The 2026 FDD is filed with state franchise regulators. You can view the embedded PDF viewer below to review the full document, including Item 11 tech mandates and Item 17 renewal conditions.
Source
Read the filing itself
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FDD alert
Tell me when this brand refiles.
We’ll email you the moment FIVE GUYS files a new annual FDD, usually the freshest signal of a vendor change.
Operator footprint
Who runs the locations
254 operators run 254 mapped locations. 0 of them are multi-unit. Aggregate counts from the filing; no names.
Operators by units owned
Single-unit254
Top states by locations
| VA | 51 |
|---|---|
| FL | 24 |
| GA | 16 |
| NJ | 15 |
| NY | 13 |
Ownership
The portfolio behind FIVE GUYS
holding_vehicle of Five Guys.
Related Quick service restaurant brands
Primary franchise filings · updated June 2026. Every figure is source-traceable and QA-checked.