Five Guys and Starbucks hold grand openings

 By THOMAS P. CALDWELL, LACONIA DAILY SUN

TILTON — Customers began gathering at the outdoor patio in front of Five Guys Burgers and Fries at 8 a.m. Friday in anticipation of the 11 a.m. grand opening of the latest addition to Tanger Outlet Tilton.

Meanwhile, the opening of a new drive-through location next door at Starbucks kept that restaurant busy all morning, with customers taking advantage of a special offer of a free iced espresso with the purchase of a grande iced espresso beverage.

Tanger Tilton’s general manager, Eric Proulx, and members of the Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce celebrated the occasion with a 10 a.m. ribbon-cutting with members of the restaurant teams.

“The opening of Starbucks Coffee with drive-through couldn’t have come at a better time, right before the holiday weekend,” Proulx said. “This expansion, coupled with the Five Guys Burgers and Fries opening, is going to enhance the center’s position as a must-visit destination in the Lakes Region.”

Karmen Gifford, president of the Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce, agreed. “Tanger Outlet overall is a huge draw to the region,” she said. “This just enhances it.”

The group waiting for Five Guys to open certainly agreed.

“This is way better than the other places,” said Ethan Byington, a youth from Laconia who was there with Logan Natal and adults Matthew Seager and Kate Byington.

Thomas Marchese agreed. “I love Five Guys,” said the Tilton teen who had been there since 8 a.m. “It’s just better.”

He explained that his mother is nutritionist and she does not approve of other fast-food places, but, “She takes us here. It’s made with better-quality meat, and they make special food for those with allergies.”

Bill Gellert, council president for Five Guys, a family-owned franchise group, explained the company’s philosophy: “We don’t encourage advertising claims and we’re not allowed to discount the food,” he said. “Instead, we rely on four-walls marketing: Anything that goes on inside is our advertising.”

Thus, he said, Five Guys focuses on good food, enjoyment, and meeting or beating expectations.

An example of that is the way the restaurants go out of the way for people with allergies. The customer only needs to inform the cashier, and a person will be assigned to handle the order, donning new gloves and ensuring there is no potential for contamination by allergens such as peanuts. For those wanting a gluten-free meal, the burger may be served in a lettuce wrap.

“We’re always looking for good people,” Gellert said of those they hire. “We’re in the people business — on both sides of the counter.”

Gellert said Five Guys also wants to support the community, offering fundraisers that incentivize the groups they are looking to help. “If we get a good turnout, we up our contribution,” he said. “That supports the community we’re a member of, helps the staff with enthusiasm and more hours (so more pay), and it doesn’t hurt the business, either.”

The opening of the new Five Guys gives the company its northernmost location. The next closest location is in Concord.

Starbucks has been operating out of a different location at Tanger Outlets Tilton but wanted to respond to customers’ requests for a drive-through option.

Tim Errington, Starbucks district manager, said that, going forward, all new Starbucks locations will have a drive-through. In Tilton, “for several years we’ve looked for this.”

The construction of a new building close to the entrance of the outlet mall allowed the company to realize its goal. Built over seven months, the new LEED-compliant location has a drive-through lane as well as an outdoor patio to serve both Starbucks and Five Guys.

LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) was very important to Starbucks, Errington said.

Starbucks has 2,000 square feet in the new building, while Five Guys has 2,300 square feet, according to Proulx.

Last week, Starbucks moved all of its equipment from the old storefront, leaving only bare tile behind.

In addition to the drive-through and patio, the new Starbucks location features the company’s Nitro Cold Brew, a small-batch, high-caffeine coffee that is slow-steeped and infused with nitrogen. “Only one or two other locations have it,” Errington said.

With the prominent new location and the drive-through, Errington expects to see more commuter business for Starbucks’ Tilton location.

As for employment, with the drive-through, “We’ve increase our head counts and hope to be having more jobs in our beautiful new store,” he said.

Proulx said Tanger’s announcement on social media that Five Guys would be coming to Tilton proved to be the most successful unpaid post the company ever had. Wednesday’s post announcing $25 gift cards to Five Guys was the second most successful for the company.

An invitation-only “soft opening” on Thursday was “phenomenal” according to Proulx who said dinner lines were out the door.

As for Starbucks’ drive-through, Proulx said it has been very-much requested, and “should help catapult sales.”

“People coming here will mean more spending throughout the Lakes Region,” Gifford said. “So much has changed on Route 3, and this is another example of the progress and jobs in the area. If you’re getting off 93 and coming into the Lakes Region, there’s a lot here, and it builds vitality.”

Eric Proulx, general manager of Tanger Outlets Tilton, cuts the ribbon during a ceremony on Friday to mark the grand opening of Five Guys Burgers and Fries and the new location with drive-through for Starbucks Coffee. (Tom Caldwell/Laconia Daily Sun)