Five Guys is supplying a reply to customers who are scrutinizing the size of their fries.
Earlier this month, Five Guys switched to a new french fry container at restaurants across the country, replacing the cups they had previously utilized with brown paper bags. The company had explained that the bags, which are made from biodegradable kraft paper, are free of BPA (bisphenol A) and PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), and were designed to be “grease-resistant.”
The new bags also help maintain the taste and texture of the fries, Five Guys said.
“We’re still using the same fresh-cut potatoes and generous portions,” Five Guys announced, “but this new packaging helps fries hold their texture and keeps takeout and delivery fresher, longer.”
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In recent weeks, however, dozens of Five Guys customers who say they were served fries in the new paper sleeves appeared to disagree with the “generous portions” part of that statement.
“I was at our Five Guys last week and was completely disappointed with the [meager] handful in the new bag and absolutely not a single fry loose in the bag from the claimed ‘generous’ portion,” one Instagram user alleged.
“I went earlier this week and I was truly heartbroken,” another person claimed on Reddit. “Don’t tell me it’s the same amount. It’s not by a long stretch.”
Similar complaints popped up in the comments section of the company’s more recent Instagram posts too, along with several requests from customers imploring the company to switch back to cups.
When asked about reactions to perceived portion reductions, a representative for Five Guys denied any change in company policy concerning the fries.
“Five Guys has been getting feedback on our new fry bags, and we want to make sure our customers know our fry portions remain unchanged. Our extra scoops are absolutely not going away. You’re getting the same portions in the same sizes as our fry cups: Little, Regular, and Large,” Christine Cube, a communications manager for Five Guys, said in an emailed statement to Nexstar.
“We’re switching to bags to ensure fries stay fresher longer, as the bags allow air to better circulate. This is especially important for takeout and delivery,” Cube said. “Also, this smarter packaging is part of our larger commitment to the environment. The bags are made from biodegradable natural kraft paper. They are food-grade, grease-proof, BPA- and PFAS-free, and FDA-approved.”
A spokesperson for Five Guys did not say whether the company provides guidelines about serving sizes to its employees.
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At least one person who identified as a Five Guys employee also argued that the fry portions hadn’t changed, at least not at the location where she works.
“I actually prefer the fry bags because I feel like the customers get more,” she alleged. “The bags fit more than the cups[,] people.”
