Americans like their burgers with a side of peanuts. At least that’s what the results of a new poll on the top burger restaurant chain seems to show.
Five Guys, known for its bacon cheese burgers, kosher-style hot dogs and endless offering of peanuts, has just been named the Burger Restaurant Brand of the Year in the Harris Poll’s EquiTrend study.
The burger chain, based in Lorton, Virginia, beat out two-time title holder In-N-Out, which ranked second. Shake Shack, Wendy’s and Culver’s rounded out the top five in Harris Poll’s study.
The EquiTrend study used three factors − familiarity, quality and purchase consideration − to determine the top burger brand. More than 100,000 American consumers assessed 4,000 brands in more than 450 categories, including best chicken, casual dining, luxury department store, electronics stores and others.
Five Guys rose to the top by breaking out of its reputation as a regional brand, since the franchise now has 1,500 restaurants in the United States and Canada.
“The burger brand category has become less fragmented,” said Joan Sinopoli, vice president of brand solutions at The Harris Poll.
“This is certainly the case with Five Guys, who has shed its ‘small regional player’ designation as it expands its footprint and marketing budget - along with its fandom, which is a tremendous contributor to brand equity.”
Five Guys has several metro Atlanta locations, including options in Atlanta, Alpharetta, Duluth, Smyrna and Chamblee.
Here are the top burger brands, according to Harris Poll:
1. Five Guys
2. In-N-Out Burger
3. Shake Shack
4. Wendy’s
5. Culver’s
6. Whataburger
7. McDonald’s
8. SONIC America’s Drive-In
9. Smashburger
10. Steak ‘n Shake
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