SILVERDALE — Ever since she'd heard Five Guys Burgers and Fries was coming to town, Nicole Lynch has been keeping her eye on a little restaurant space off Kitsap Mall Boulevard.

"I've been on the prowl, waiting for it to open," said Lynch, 18, of Port Orchard. "I'd heard from countless people that it's super good. I've been dying to try it."

On Monday, the doors finally swung open and Lynch got her opportunity. She and her boyfriend, Mason Heaman of Silverdale, dined on burgers, shakes and fries on an outside patio.

Their verdict? Five Guys, among the hottest chains in the nation, was worth the wait — and the hype.

And they weren't the only ones. Nearly 1,000 customers burst through the doors in the very first three hours of business.

"People were rattling on the doors this weekend," said Mike Barnett, who with his wife, Lisa, celebrated opening their fourth location around Puget Sound Monday. "It's been a huge success so far."

It was a journey getting Five Guys, with its peanut oil french fries and fresh hamburgers, to Kitsap. Founded by the five-son Murrell family as “a carry-out burger joint” in Arlington, Virginia, in 1986, it once had just five restaurants around Washington, D.C. No more. The now-worldwide brand claims more than 1,500 locations.

The Barnetts have long wanted to bring a location to the Kitsap Peninsula. Mike Barnett, a retired Navy commander, served at Bangor from 1991 to 1994. The couple opened locations in Lynwood, Bothell and Edmonds before picking what they believe is the perfect spot in Silverdale.

"It's been years in the making," Lisa Barnett said.

The Barnetts have hired 50 people to work at the Silverdale location. Following sign-off from the county fire marshal, its staff trained around the clock over the weekend to get ready for its opening on Monday.

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