Founded in 1986 by Jerry and Janie Murrell in Arlington, Virginia, Five Guys started as a simple carry-out burger joint offering hand-formed burgers, fresh-cut fries, and a commitment to quality with no freezers—only coolers. The Murrell family perfected their menu and service through the 1980s and 90s, creating a loyal following with their fresh ingredients and customizable toppings.
In 2003, they expanded through franchising, quickly growing the brand with over 300 units sold in less than two years. Today, Five Guys has nearly 1,700 locations worldwide and another 1,500 in development, maintaining its reputation for high-quality, fresh food and becoming a beloved global brand.
Of those locations, 56 are operated by leading franchisee Five Guys New York (FGNY), headquartered in New York City.
With just two team members managing recruitment in the competitive New York City market, hiring became overwhelming for FGNY’s team.
They faced several key challenges:
FGNY primarily leveraged Indeed to source candidates. But, this reliance created several challenges in their recruitment process. First was cost. In order to maintain candidate flow and volume, FGNY spent a significant amount of money on Indeed costs. Second was vetting capabilities. Indeed’s limited filtering made it difficult to verify crucial certifications, such as food handlers’ licenses. Finally, FGNY struggled with the time and effort it took to maintain their Indeed presence. The team manually reposted job ads on Indeed every few days to ensure visibility. Additionally, additional time was spent changing posting locations to avoid being flagged by the platform. This was done in order to cast a wider net and target applicants commuting from outside New York City. These struggles led to a major problem in the hiring process.
In light of their struggles with Indeed, FGNY was unable to source qualified leadership candidates. Traditionally inclined to promote from within, securing external candidates for managerial positions, such as Shift Leads and Assistant General Managers, proved difficult. Despite receiving a high volume of applicants, limited filtering capabilities yielded unqualified candidates who struggled to adapt to the fast-paced, high-pressure environment of the business.
LANDED's proprietary AI solution featured customizable vetting capabilities, empowering FGNY to set specific criteria tailored to each location. This ensured that candidates were a strong match for the roles advertised.
This was all completed via LANDED’s SMS-based candidate vetting and engagement system. By leveraging Generative AI, Candidates were carefully screened for relevant quick-service restaurant (QSR) experience, job stability, and enthusiasm—an essential trait for succeeding in a high-pressure environment.
With a candidate response time of under 15 minutes, LANDED was able to enhance the personalization and efficiency of FGNY’s recruitment process.
LANDED's streamlined process ensures that FGNY continues to build a strong, qualified team, fueling their ongoing growth and success.
Their partnership has yielded powerful results, including:
LANDED powers all 56 of FGNY’s locations, and will continue to partner with them to efficiently identify and hire top management talent.
“Through the combination of LANDED’s data-driven and adaptable system and their caring and collaborative client support team, we have come to rely on them as a true strategic partner in our hiring efforts. Their support has allowed us to drastically reduce the time spent on the administrative aspect of recruitment while simultaneously improving our key hiring metrics. It has truly been a game-changer in the way we approach our hiring.”