'Five Guys' on the Menu in Whole Foods' Development

Five Guys Burgers and Fries, a chain with restaurants in Westport and Norwalk, is scheduled to open in a retail development on Grasmere Avenue in Fairfield that is anchored by a new Whole Foods Market.

Five Guys would join Chipotle, an upscale Mexican restaurant, as eateries in the "King's Crossing" development, which includes three separate buildings on 10.5 acres by Grasmere Avenue and Kings Highway East - a 48,346-square-foot building devoted to the new Whole Foods; a 14,845-square-foot building that will house a CVS; and a 22,772-square-foot building scheduled to house Chipotle, Five Guys Burgers and Fries and a bank (so far.) PETCO also was previously identified as a potential tenant in the 22,772-square-foot building.

William Fitzpatrick, the attorney representing the owner of the 10.5-acre property at 350 Grasmere Ave., said in an application filed in the town's Zoning Department that Five Guys would like outdoor seating, like Chipotle, and that Five Guys would occupy 2,315 square feet of the westerly portion of the 22,772-square-foot building. The outdoor dining area for Five Guys would take up about 36 square feet, according to the application.

Five Guys needs 25 parking spaces to open and is 13 parking spaces short. But Fitzpatrick notes in the application that HH East Parcel, LLC, the property owner, is entitled to a credit for parking because of a shared driveway with The Home Depot, which is next to the King's Crossing development. The shared driveway eliminated "far more" than 26 parking spaces, according to Fitzpatrick.

Five Guys Burgers and Fries opened its first restaurant in Arlington, Va. in 1986 and now has 750 restaurants in more than 40 states and four Canadian provinces, according to Fitzpatrick. The menu is mostly burgers, fries and hot dogs, and the restaurant uses only fresh-ground beef stored in coolers, so freezers won't be included, Fitzpatrick says in the application. Fitzpatrick adds that the Five Guys' menu is "trans-fat free and they use only peanut oil."

"Five Guys has developed a cult-like following and will be a welcome addition to Fairfield's thriving restaurant scene," Fitzpatrick says in the application.

The Five Guys' website advises visitors that they may be a Five Guys' fanatic if they know all 15 free toppings by heart; their heart skips a beat when they see a grease-stained brown paper bag; the sight of foil causes them to salivate; their hand is tired from drawing comment card pictures; and they look up when ordering at fine dining establishments.

The Town Plan and Zoning Commission is scheduled to review Fitzpatrick's application for a certificate of zoning compliance for Five Guys at a meeting that begins at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in McKinley School.