Not many people or companies would refuse the Pentagon, and yet that's exactly what popular fast casual burger chain Five Guys did early in their history. Not only did they live to tell about it, but their business has thrived since, despite, or perhaps because of, their refusal. Five Guys first opened in 1986 in Arlington, Va., not far from Washington D.C. Shortly after their opening, they received a call from the Pentagon asking how long it would take them to deliver 15 burgers. They were advised that the restaurant has a no-delivery policy. Even when an admiral called founder Jerry Murrell, the answer remained no. Murrell explained that Five Guys believes that delivery compromises their promise to deliver fresh food. Even when the admiral reiterated that "everyone delivers food to the Pentagon," Murrell stood firm. To really underscore the point, Murrell had a massive 22-foot banner put up outside the store that stated, "Absolutely No Delivery.” Despite a Pentagon employee's prediction that Five Guys would fail if they refused to deliver to the Pentagon and its 26,000 employees, Five Guys actually increased their business with the Pentagon by 20% after the banner went up. Today, the only way to have Five Guys delivered to you is by utilizing a food delivery company like DoorDash, Uber Eats or GrubHub.
