US-based burger chain Five Guys has launched a 300sqm, 96-seat restaurant in the new Sydney new Metro Martin Place integrated station precinct, at the heart of the CBD.

It’s the second Sydney and fifth Australian location for the fast food business, which unveiled its inaugural site in Penrith, Western Sydney in 2021.

The Sydney Metro Martin Place Station precinct includes commercial offices, retail space and new underground pedestrian connections. Pedestrians and commuters can access Five Guys via two station entrances.

Five Guys launched in Sydney in George Street in 2022, and followed up with two central locations in Melbourne.

Phil Keelan, head of operations nationwide, believes the metro precinct will “activate more awareness of Five Guys and accessibility to our food” he said.

“Martin Place Metro offers us this in more ways than one – allowing for the ”grab-and-go” customer, whilst also being a permanent fixture and premium offering to the thousands of people who work in Martin Place or immediate surrounds,” he said.

Launching the brand in the suburban Penrith outlet had been an error, Keelan admitted to SMH.

“We made a mistake, and I’m happy to openly, honestly say this: we opened Penrith, 70 kilometres out of Sydney.

“It’s a standalone restaurant, no one walking past the front doors. You have to make a conscious decision to go ‘I want Five Guys’,” he told the masthead.

Looking ahead, the burger chain plans to add another 20 stores to the Australian footprint within five years.

This story was originally published on Franchise Executives.