Five Guys to expand into Toledo

TOLEDO, Ohio - The owners of Five Guys Burger and Fries, a national restaurant chain, are expected to open their first store in Toledo. Sales have increased since President Barack Obama was spotted buying lunch from its burger point in Washington, D.C.

Five Guys will open in November inside the Westgate Village Shopping Center. Owners say if this location becomes a success, five more restaurants will open in Lucas, Hancock, and Wood counties in the very near future.

"This is going to be our first location, and then we're looking down in Perrysburg, probably one in Findlay, one in Maumee," said Toledo store owner Branden Yono. "We just got to find the right fit in the right area for our stores."

Yono says the franchise, which sells freshly made gourmet burgers, hot dogs and french fries, is "expanding everywhere." His company, the Famous Burger group, owns Five Guys Burger and Fries in Northwest Ohio. He believes since President Obama's visit in D.C., sales have skyrocketed.

"He's the most popular guy in the world right now and for him to walk in a Five Guys restaurant and enjoy the food, it's a great thing," Yono said.

The owner of Massage Envy, located next to the new restaurant under construction, is excited about the fast food shop. Megan Lavarnway believes once Five Guys opens, it will also help her business grow.

"I think it's very good for the area," she said. "I think it's going to generate a lot of traffic and a lot of business, and I think we're going to see Westgate get more busier than what it is now."

The imact of Five Guys could create a few hundred new jobs in the region.

"This location alone will hire 30 to 40 people, and with the five locations we could be hiring an additional 200 people," said David McDinald, Five Guys Toledo co-owner. "We want to get this one open and operating smoothly first, and hopefully within the next four months we'll have the second one under construction."

Five Guys at Westgate will be accepting applications in a few weeks. The new restaurant is scheduled to open in the middle of November.