Five Guys Burgers and Fries Slated For Late-January Opening

After some delay, Five Guys Burgers and Fries has set a date to open in Commack in late January, according to owner Bill Gellert.

“Right now our target is Monday, Jan. 29,” Gellert said, but left room for change as he put the store’s chances of meeting that goal at “better than 50 percent.”

He said the original opening had been expected for last month but “a lot of issues” had postponed it. The permitting process took time, the grease trap had to be modified and Gellert had an engineer in to verify that the roof could hold the store’s large air conditioning unit.

The food joint will be located at 6546 Jericho Turnpike, the

Gellert said the delay may work in the store’s favor, however. He now plans to install two Coke Freestyle machines that just became available. The drink dispensers allow customers to press buttons for different sodas, mixing their own concoctions. He said someone would be stationed at the machines when they are introduced to show how they work.

Gellert said he hoped the down time has allowed word to spread and anticipation to build. He and three cousins own 11 Five Guys locations throughout the New York metropolitan area, five of them in Suffolk. He called the Commack site a “solid location” in a great area.

He said he doesn’t expect things to be busy in the beginning, but to build as customers recommend the food to others.

One drawback to the site is visibility, Gellert said, as it is on the end of the shopping center in the far right corner. This location does provide parking in the rear, though, a feature Gellert said is important as the lot in front fills easily.

Gellert said the store is still hiring, with 20 positions left to fill. The staff will start out at between 35 and 40 employees, but should eventually “settle out” at 20 to 25 as employees leave and other staff decisions are made.