Five Guys founder explains why he tells staff to give customers so many fries

If you've ever had Five Guys fries, you know they're up there with some of the best.

The chain is pretty proud of its fries - and we can see why. They're freshly made on site and cooked in peanut oil to avoid trans fats and preservatives, meaning that they’re a little healthier than your average fried potato.

But they still taste incredible.

Which is why absolutely nobody minds that Five Guys is very generous when it comes to its portion size. Right?

Five Guys is known for being pricey (Mike Kemp/In Pictures via Getty Images)

It's something Five Guys founder, Jerry Murrell, has spoken about. He told Food Republic how they make the fries so delicious and why they always give an extra scoop.

He said: "Peanut oil is a healthier oil. Lots of people prefer to use hydrogenated oils for a crisper fry, but we want that melt-in-your-mouth buttery taste that non-hydrogenated oil offers.

"There are no trans fats or preservatives, and it's the purest oil available. Since fries are all we cook in it, nothing touches our oil except for potatoes and our fry baskets."

The fries are served in a 24-ounce cup, much larger than those on offer at Five Guys’ competitors, and staff aren’t shy about packing the containers to the brim, even chucking in an extra scoop just for good measure.

For Murrell, it’s all about giving customers their money’s worth - in fact, he likes them to be so jam-packed that people actually complain about the amount given.

He explained: “I won’t name names, but other restaurants just don’t give a satisfying amount of fries. We always give an extra scoop.

"I say load ’em up and make sure they get their money’s worth.

“[Some] people complain that they get too many fries. I just tell them to make hash browns with the leftovers. I teach my managers that if people aren’t complaining, then you’re not giving them enough.”

Five Guys often give an extra scoop of fries (Instagram/@fiveguys)

And there's a secret behind how the fries are prepared, too.

The chain refuses to use dehydrated frozen fries, like some of its competitors, to ensure they don’t absorb oil and go greasy during the cooking process.

“We actually soak our fries in water,” Murrell told inc.com.

“When we pre-fry them, the water boils, forcing steam out of the fry, and a seal is formed so that when they get fried a second time, they don't absorb any oil - and they're not greasy.”