Overview
- Murrell, in a Fortune interview on Wednesday, said he sent about 1,500 bonus checks of roughly $1,000 each to frontline crews across U.S. locations.
- The move followed a Feb. 17 buy-one-get-one birthday deal that overwhelmed restaurants, causing food shortages, long lines, early closures, and app and online ordering problems.
- Five Guys apologized on Feb. 18 and staged a make‑good BOGO called the 40th After Party from March 9 to 12, which Murrell said ran better because teams were prepared.
- News coverage highlighted his joking line about not wanting to be shot after the mishap, while some outlets said the company did not immediately share more details on the payouts when asked.
- The episode underscores how large, single‑day promotions can outstrip capacity and shows the privately held, family‑run chain, with about 1,900 locations and 30,000 employees, rewarding store teams for shouldering the surge.