Five Guys Burgers and Fries to open at Arborland shopping center

Franchise owners Michael Abrams, Brian Adelman and David Pittaway signed a lease in January for a 2,579-square-foot space in the outlot portion of Arborland near Starbucks Coffee, a space most recently occupied by America’s Best Contact & Eyeglasses.

America’s Best moved two storefronts down in August to expand.

Renovations are currently underway at the new Five Guys location, and a sign announces the restaurant is “coming soon.” Abrams said the goal is to open by the end of May or early June.

This is the 16th Five Guys restaurant the three business partners have opened in Michigan, and they are quickly adding more. One is set to open in Portage, Mich. a month after the Arborland location opens, with the ultimate goal of opening 30 or 40 restaurants.

The reason, Abrams said: “I think it’s the best burgers and fries you can get anywhere.”

Virginia-based Five Guys has more than 750 locations throughout the country. The restaurant keeps things simple by offering a menu of hamburgers, hot dogs, fries, grilled cheese, a vegetarian sandwich and Coca-Cola products.

The product, Adelman said in 2011, “sells itself.”

“Wherever we open, as long as there are people, we will be successful,” he said.

The State Street restaurant opened in January 2011 in the former Shaman Drum Bookshop, and Abrams said its performance level is in the upper half of their 15 open locations.

“It’s a good store, with a good presence,” he said. “It’s not crazy busy, but it’s good.”

Although he called it a “headache,” he said they might consider keeping the State Street restaurant open until 2 a.m. on weekends in order to cater to college students.

Abrams said he decided to open a restaurant at Arborland after seeing the success of Starbucks, Cold Stone Creamery and Noodles & Company in the retail center.

He called the parking situation at Arborland “a little suspect,” but he said he hopes that when the outlot parking is full, people will park in the larger Arborland lot and walk over.

“That’s a very busy area, and with all the big stores behind us, I think that helps,” he said. “Everything in there does well.”

Michael Lippitt and Richard Shlom of Landmark Commercial Services marketed the space. Amcap Inc. owns the Arborland Center.