The CEO of the popular fast food chain Five Guys mentioned he distributed $1.5 million in bonuses to his employees, jokingly referring to concerns about possibly being “shot in the back.” This quip seemed to nod toward the recent assassination of United Healthcare’s CEO, Brian Thompson.
Jerry Murrell, who established the burger business four decades ago, explained that the decision came after the company, well, “messed up” its buy-one-get-one-free offer.
This bonus was shared among 1,500 employees following the chaos surrounding Five Guys’ 40th anniversary celebration.
“I didn’t want someone to shoot me in the back after the first day, because we really messed things up. The response was unexpected,” Murrell joked during an interview with Fortune magazine this week.
He didn’t clarify his comment further, but it seemingly referenced the tragic incident involving Brian Thompson, who was fatally shot outside a hotel in Manhattan on December 4, 2024.
The aftermath of Thompson’s murder led to the arrest of the suspected shooter, Luigi Mangione, which elicited mixed reactions online, with some critics suggesting that, given Thompson’s role in health insurance, his fate was somewhat fitting.
Currently, Mangione is awaiting trial facing both state and federal charges after authorities apprehended him in a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania.
Murrell, whose wealth is estimated at over $400 million, humorously remarked that he’d prefer to give bonuses rather than purchase a “new fur coat” for his wife.
“She still looks at me like I’m an idiot, but I thought it was worth it. They worked so hard. I was so overwhelmed,” Murrell noted, having led Five Guys since it opened its inaugural location in Arlington, Virginia, in 1986.
This conversation unfolded weeks after a promotion in February for Five Guys’ anniversary, which ended up attracting more customers than anticipated.
The surge caused the company’s app to crash, leaving many franchises overwhelmed and ultimately forcing them to cancel the offer early, which sparked backlash on social media.
Five Guys publicly apologized on February 18, expressing regret for disappointing their customers and acknowledging the challenges faced by their dedicated staff.
Following this, a follow-up announcement on March 9 confirmed the promotion would resume for an additional four days.
In that memo, they stated, “You visited our restaurants in overwhelming numbers and we were not ready to host you. We did not meet our own standards, and that is not to be taken lightly. Therefore, we are asking for a do-over.”
