Head-to-Head Franchise Intelligence
Five Guys vs Shake Shack
Commercial comparison of unit economics, FTC Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) Item 19 average unit volume (AUV), startup capital requirements, and store tech stacks.
Contender 1Rank #41
Five Guys
Burgers & Fresh-Cut Fries
Handcrafted Burgers & Fries
Parent Holding:Murrell Family
Contender 2Rank #48
Shake Shack
Modern Fast Casual Burgers
Stand for Something Good
Parent Holding:Shake Shack Corporation
Unit Economics & Financial Benchmarks
Verified against FTC FDD Item 19 and SEC Form 10-K regulatory disclosures.
| Metric | Five Guys | Shake Shack | Advantage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median AUV (Annual Sales) | $4.79M | $4.72M | Five Guys (+1%) |
| Active Store Locations | 1,511 | 420 | Five Guys (Larger Fleet) |
| Initial Investment Range | $2.20M – $4.80M | $2.20M – $4.80M | Varies by site format |
| Min Liquid Capital Required | $750k | $750k | FDD Item 7 Requirement |
| Royalty Fee % | 4.5% | 4.5% | Equal |
| National Ad Fund % | 3.0% | 3.0% | Marketing Contribution |
| Annual Systemwide Sales | $7.20B | $2.00B | System Scale |
In-Store Tech Stack
Point-of-Sale Hardware/Software
Five Guys:Toast POS / Oracle Micros
Shake Shack:Toast POS / Self-Order Kiosks
Kitchen Display System (KDS)
Five Guys:Toast KDS
Shake Shack:Toast KDS
Delivery Multi-Homing
DoorDash Marketplace Penetration
Five Guys:0% (0 stores)
Shake Shack:0% (0 stores)
Uber Eats Marketplace Penetration
Five Guys:0% (0 stores)
Shake Shack:0% (0 stores)
Need deeper store-level datasets?
Explore individual geocoded address lists, multi-unit franchisee portfolios, and full FDD Item 19 exhibits.