Five Guys Burgers & Fries is lining up a downtown Raleigh storefront, and the paperwork is already on file with the city. The Virginia-founded burger chain has set its sights on 442 Fayetteville St., a compact spot in City Plaza, with a plan review set for Wednesday, Nov. 4.
According to the Raleigh News & Observer, the company filed sketch plans on Monday, Oct. 19, to customize the space. The plans call for renovating the interior and creating additional space at the rear of the building for a walk-in cooler and storage.
Don't circle a grand opening on the calendar just yet. The paper reports that those involved have declined to comment, and a CBRE employee said there was “nothing to comment on at this time.” The same account notes that Highwoods Properties Inc. owns the building.
A Jewel Box Near the Convention Center
The address has been on the market for a while. A listing on Downtown Raleigh describes the property as a “jewel box site” that is “ideal for a 2nd generation restaurant,” and it names CBRE brokers Charlie Coyne and Matt Larson as the contacts.
The location comes with built-in foot traffic. A CBRE listing places the space in front of the One City Plaza Class A office tower and one block from the Raleigh Convention Center. It also counts over 22,000 employees within a half-mile.
Fayetteville Street's Bigger Picture
Five Guys would land on a corridor that downtown leaders have been trying to energize. In a strategy post, the Downtown Raleigh Alliance says the first ten recommendations of its Economic Development Strategy focus on Fayetteville Street improvements. It also says “City Plaza can be the heart of the city,” and it recommends clustering retail and restaurants around a “Best in North Carolina” theme.
The strategy also points out that of the more than 5,300 residential units built or under construction downtown since 2020, most are not on or adjacent to Fayetteville Street. A burger joint won't fix that by itself, but a busy lunch counter in City Plaza is the kind of draw the plan has in mind.
What Five Guys Brings to the Counter
The N&O reports that Five Guys cooks each burger to order and serves it on a sesame seed bun or a lettuce wrap. The chain recently opened a location inside Crabtree Valley Mall, taking over a space formerly occupied by McDonald's.
Downtown's restaurant scene is also getting other new additions. The paper says Sam Jones BBQ is opening a second downtown Raleigh location in Morgan Street Food Hall by the end of 2026.
For now, what's confirmed is the filing and the review date. No opening date has been announced, and the Nov. 4 review will show how the plans fare with the city.
