NORTON SHORES, MI – It was a busy first day for the employees of the brand new Five Guys Burgers and Fries location, which opened on Monday, March 31, at the 5411 Harvey St., adjacent to the Sternberg Road intersection near the Lakes Mall.

Cashiers rang up a steady stream of customers, while kitchen employees threw burgers on the grills, assembled the sandwiches and called out orders as fast as possible in the open kitchen. By 11:30 a.m. – a half hour after the restaurant officially opened – every table was occupied and the line reached from the register to the door.

Brian Adelman, one of the owners, said he expected about 1,200 customers to come through the doors. Fans of the "better burger" chain, which started in Washington, D.C., are dedicated and owners earlier said that they expected customers to come from as far away as Ludington.

"We're fanatical about everything burgers and fries," said Adelman, explaining the chain's appeal.

Five Guys uses the "best quality" ingredients, he said -- everything is prepared fresh and made to order. The menu offers one- or two-patty burgers and hot dogs, which include 15 free toppings like the standard lettuce, tomatoes and pickles, as well as jalapeno peppers, A1 Steak Sauce and hot sauce. Five guys also offers sandwiches and French fries.

The location, which is the 24th in Michigan, also includes a Coca-Cola Freestyle soda dispenser, allowing customers to choose from more than 100 different beverages.

Monday's grand opening drew a variety of people – a mix of old and young, Five Guys first-timers and devotees.

Five Guys neophyte Elizabeth Penoyer from Muskegon said her burger was good. She said it lived up to the pre-opening hype.

"I like all the choices of things you can put on your burger and they give you a lot of fries," she said, adding that they also liked the open-kitchen format and the boxes of complimentary shelled peanuts the restaurant offered to its customers.

David Kocsis from Spring Lake, also a Five Guys first-timer, said the burgers "were a little pricey, but good."

"You're getting a lot there," he said. "I mean, it's good-sized patties and a lot of condiments."

Norton Shores resident Jeff Lord said the opening was "the best thing to happen in Muskegon."

"It's one of the best burgers you'll get," he said. "It's not just typical fried-up burger. It's fresh, it's simple. It's just good."

Lord said he's eaten at the Holland and Lansing locations and was happy to have Five Guys close to home.

"Now that it's here, it's like 'Yes, finally,'" he said. "I don't have to travel two hours to get one now."

Five Guys will be open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day, according to the company's website.

Lisha Arino covers arts and entertainment, as well as other topics, as needed, for MLive Muskegon Chronicle. Email her at larino@mlive.com or follow her on Facebook, Twitter or Google+.