Which is Better, FiveGuys or McDonald's?

Fast food. It's something we all know isn't the most glamorous of dining experiences, but most of us still eat at these restaurants.

Whether it's fried chicken, burgers, Mexican or desserts, people think all food establishments are all cut from the same cloth. But what is the customer experience like in these places, and how do they differ?

Today I'll look at my experiences at two of the UK's most popular chains, McDonald 's and Five Guys to find out.

McDonald's

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I'll start with the one which has been around the longest: McDonald 's.

Since opening their doors to the UK in October 1974, there are now around 1300 restaurants up and down the country, serving 1,277,500,000 customers a year. Yes, you read that correctly. One billion, two hundred and seventy-seven million, five hundred thousand, and just like that, I now get why obesity is on the up.

From Ronald McDonald to the broken milkshake machine, there's something for everyone to love at McDonald 's.

The Restaurant

As with any fast-food chain, the majority of these look the same, with their grey floor tiles, yellow and green decor and wooden panels dotted around the place. I know when I'm in a McDonalds.

Most of them are clean, and there's often enough seating for everyone unless you find yourself in one in London... where you've no chance of finding a table.

Toilets are often a make or break for some people, and well, on the whole they are maintained to a good standard. They're brightly lit, usually don't smell, which is a big plus, and I can't say anything bad about them.

The experience in the restaurant is usually a pleasant one unless you find yourself on the table next to a family with a screaming child which is an actual nightmare. Although this can't really be helped unless McDonald 's ban everyone under the age of 12, which would be a bad business decision. However, it would make my BigMac meal much more enjoyable.

McDonald's also has a major advantage with its 24-hour restaurants. There's nothing better than having 5 Chicken Selects at 4am after a heavy night of drinking to save you from the worst hangover of your life - you can't do that at FiveGuys can you.

Staff

The main aspect of the customer experience is the service customers receive from the staff. Unfortunately, McDonald 's workers often seem overworked and understaffed, resulting in a painful experience.

It can even seem like a chore for them to be taking your order, as if you are spoiling their day by ordering food. My biggest pet peeve is when they have five or six staff behind the counter just talking about their weekend, leaving one poor soul to take the orders for ten people. Just jump on the tills and actually serve me please guys, it's not that hard to do your job, surely?

They're not all like this though. Some staff are kind and polite, but the majority feel like they are being held at gunpoint, and it leaves a bad impression. This is the weakest area of the overall experience for me.

Ordering

One plus with McDonald 's is the table service and ordering boards. Self-ordering kiosks started rolling out in stores in 2015, making buying your food without having to talk to anyone that bit easier. Sometimes they struggle to work, either being slow or just out of order completely, but when they do work, they're fantastic!

Another is the option for table service. When ordering, I can take a numbered plaque, and the staff will bring the meal to me- it's like being in an actual restaurant! We're living in the future, or maybe the past, I haven't quite worked it out.

One downside to these boards is the fact that you can't redeem the coffee vouchers on them, instead, I'm forced to have to speak to the staff at the counter, who try and ignore you for 5 minutes so you will use the self-ordering boards next time.

A big plus for me is the Drive-Thru. Fast food, without having to leave your car, making life so much easier when in a rush, or when you're just feeling lazy.

Of course, you don't have to use it, but knowing I can order, pay for and eat a whole meal without having to move out of the driver's seat is a real plus!

McDonald 's have also recently begun to push the MyMcDonald 's mobile app, which allows you to order your food on the way to the restaurant, reducing the waiting time. No more waiting around for your 20 chicken nuggets, what a bonus that is!

Food

While it might not be the most exquisite cuisine, it's certainly not the worst food in the world.

With 28 main options to choose from (not including sides or adding and taking away toppings), there's something for everyone, and I've never really had a bad experience with any of it.

A burger tastes like a burger should do, and the fries are arguably the best fast-food fry on the market. Perfectly crispy, perfectly fluffy inside and perfectly salted. They're, well - perfect.

If you don't want to pig out on a burger, what are the healthy options? Well, leaving would be a good start! But what if you're being forced to stay by your wife and kids?

You could tuck into a Grilled Chicken Salad, which is only 133 calories and 1.4 grams of fat. Sure, it might not be the peak of healthiness, but for a quick pitstop, it ticks all the boxes for someone watching what they eat.

For the vegetarians and pescatarians, there is some decent enough choice. Alongside the salads, there are the veggie wraps and the Filet O'Fish burger, which is more than what can be offered by FiveGuys.

My main gripe is with the milkshake and McFlurry machine. I dream of the day when it works for longer than two weeks at a time. The lure of a banana milkshake with your meal is so inviting, only for the staff to tell you it's out of service, once again. Disappointing. The McFlurry /milkshake machine has become a running joke amongst consumers, and while it was once a regular occurrence for it to be broken, I have to admit I am noticing this less and less in recent times.

To sum up, though, the food is decent, and it's a place I'm more than happy to go back to for their food.

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Price

The area where McDonald 's comes into its own is the price. For £4.79 (UK) you can get an Extra Value Meal.

A burger, a portion of fries and a drink all for under a fiver is incredible value; it's literally in the name.

You can take a family of five out for dinner and hardly put a dent in your bank account. I'm not taking a random family of five out for dinner though, so my order comes to a fiver - but still, nothing to complain about here!

Overall

Do I feel like I've been transported to America for an authentic taste of the US? No, but I also don't think that's the point for McDonald's.

It's fast food for everyone, no matter where they are — decently priced, decent tasting food which you can get wherever you are.

It's a quick pit stop pick me up, a wham, bam, thank you, ma'am, and you're back to your day.

Anyone can enjoy a McDonald's at any time, and it's this inclusivity, which makes it feel a bit welcoming.

Sure, the staff bring down the overall experience down with their mardy arse attitude to everything. Looking past that though, it's somewhere I will continue to return.

Five Guys

FiveGuysInstore

Now onto the higher end of fast food with Five Guys.

Opening their first UK store on Independence Day 2013 which is a bit ironic, the chain now has close to 100 stores up and down the country and boasts the UK's most popular food chain for 2018 (MarketForce).

The Restaurant

If you thought all McDonald's stores looked the same, FiveGuys takes it to the next level.

The walls are white tiling with red accents, there's an abundance of light stained wooden benches, and you feel like you are sitting in an authentic American diner - I can't tell if I'm in Birmingham, Alabama, or quite disappointingly, The Midlands.

Atmosphere wise, it can be lacking at times, with the music often slightly too quiet to quite catch what song is playing, but there's enough for it not to ensure I can't hear my friend chewing the lettuce in their burger.

It's much the same as McDonald's regarding toilets. Spacious, maintained properly and clean - nothing to complain about here.

Staff

Here for me, is the standout difference for FiveGuys. Their staff are always helpful, smiling and appear actually to be enjoying their work.

When customers are there for the first time, they don't get frustrated or annoyed, but take their time to talk them through the ordering process.

They're often having a bit of a joke around with their conversation with me while the till processes, and it's something which makes me feel more comfortable when ordering.

Fantastic customer service in a stressful role, hats off to the FiveGuys team for that.

Ordering

Ordering wise, FiveGuys keeps things traditional for fast food, making me go up to the counter to place my order.

It's a no-frills experience where you pay and then wait for your food. No option of an ordering screen, no drive-thru, just pay and wait, which is a bit of a shame.

If you don't want to wait, you can order online or via the FiveGuys mobile app or website, where you can choose up to 4 days in advance of when you want your food to be ready.

It's really handy if you work in an office or need to know your order will be accepted. If I was having a meeting with a group of people, the order could be done in advance and it can be one thing crossed off the list - very convenient!

I just wish I could do something similar instore!

Food

Before I talk about the food itself, one thing which I really like about all of the restaurants is that the kitchen is open. You can see the food being made in front of you, and it's refreshing to see it being freshly cooked.

The beef burgers are thick patties, which are flavoursome, and the hot dogs are not bad themselves - The food is fantastic!

There's a slightly limited menu of 16 options of mains, but with all combinations of toppings on burgers, beefdogs, and sandwiches, there's more than 250,000. I've not counted them myself, but I'll take their word for it!

You can have as many toppings as you want on your burger/beefdog, all for free! In other restaurants, you can find yourself paying over a pound per topping!!

Fresh food made how you want it, no arguments this is the better of the two. You can also change your food if you are not happy with it - excellent service!

What does let it down though is the options (or rather lack of) for vegetarians or pescatarians? Okay, it's a burger and fries joint, so of course there isn't going to be the widest range of options. But their vegetarian option is a bunch of veg thrown into a bun, and there is no fish option at all.

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Price

The cost is where FiveGuys falls down with its higher-priced menu for me.

Two people ordering a burger, a portion of fries and a drink each falls just short of £30 (UK). So a family of five would have to remortgage their house to be able to go for dinner.


I've had many an argument about this with my colleague, who says it's not that badly priced as you're buying quality food, with no screaming kids running around.

I see his point as the food is really good quality, but for me it knocks down the overall experience, knowing you've paid so much for what at the end of the day is just a burger and fries - no matter how nice they are.

The Wrap-Up

So overall, who has a better customer experience?

Well, for me, it's McDonald 's. Yes, the food isn't as good as it is at FiveGuys, but for the price, it's good enough and makes me go back. The convenience of ordering is a big plus, and the Drive-Thru makes life so much easier when in a rush or when I'm feeling lazy.

The FiveGuys decor makes me feel like I'm in a 60's American diner, and the staff smile, but McDonald's is fast food at its best. Both restaurants are consistent with their service and most times when I go in, I get around the same level of experience with the food, staff and the building itself.

There's not been a standout fantastic experience I've had, but more importantly, there's also not been a really bad experience either.

Overall, because of its good tasting, cheap food with service, which is quick, McDonald 's rates as the best customer experience for me.

Disagree or have any thoughts about anything discussed? Leave a comment down below!

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