Five Guys UK introduces National Living Wage ahead of next year's change
The US import – which has 31 restaurants nationwide - announced that its hourly rate is rising to £7.20 from today (5 October).
Staff will also be eligible for a further £1.34 rise through the company’s Mystery Shopping programme, which awards employees bonuses for good customer service.
It comes after Starbucks UK and the Whitbread-owned Costa chain announced they would be raising staff salaries ahead of the introduction of the compulsory National Living Wage of £7.20 per hour for over 25 year-olds next year.
However, the rises still fall short of the Living Wage Foundation’s recommended hourly rate of £7.85 in the UK and £9.15 in London.
How will the rising Living Wage affect hospitality?
John Eckbert, CEO Five Guys UK, said: “We are really proud to be one of the first companies in the UK to reward our staff in this way for their outstanding contribution to the business.
"Since opening our first store in 2013, the popularity of Five Guys has increased significantly, becoming the fastest growing concept in the fast casual restaurant sector in UK history, which is down to the amazing contribution from our team.
“We believe that this scheme will continue to set us apart from other companies and provide an attractive offering to existing and new employees. The Five Guys team works extremely hard and we strive to continuously reward their on-going commitment.”
Five Guys launched in the USA in 1986 and opened its first UK store in Covent Garden in 2013.
The group is set to open its first Liverpool restaurant - a 3850 sq.ft site in the old Rat and Parrot building at the city's Queen Square - this autumn.
