Will Five Guys overtake In-N-Out?

East Coast burger chain Five Guys is moving aggressively into Southern California. Some say that despite intense customer loyalty, In-N-Out should worry.

"We're not hurting them," said Five Guys spokeswoman Molly Catalano, "but we're glad that people are open to having another option."

Five Guys executives insist they're not out to complete with In-N-Out, which started in Baldwin Park in 1948.

"We chose this over In-N-Out," said Gueghlein, chowing down with family members at the Five Guys in Valencia that opened in January. She liked the fresh, flavorful burgers and hand-cut fries at Five Guys — as well as the novelty of trying something new. "It's the fourth time we've been here since they opened."

But her affections have strayed. Lately she's been hitting an East Coast upstart aggressively expanding in California — Five Guys Burgers and Fries.

Jessica Gueghlein never used to give it a second thought when she wanted a good hamburger — she headed to In-N-Out, that drive-through icon of Southern California car culture.

But the two chains are clearly going after some of the same customers.

"They will definitely be a competitor to In-N-Out," said Steve West, restaurant industry analyst for Stifel, Nicolaus & Co. in St. Louis. "The prices are comparable and the product is comparable."

Like In-N-Out, Five Guys' menu is focused on single and double hamburgers and cheeseburgers, along with hand-cut fries. And like In-N-Out, Five Guys restaurants are red and white, with perky employees in red-and-white uniforms.

And Five Guys is coming on strong.

The privately held chain, which has 770 locations in the U.S. and Canada, began moving into California two years ago with a handful of shops in Orange County and the Inland Empire.

Now there are 27 locations in the state, but Five Guys has sold the rights to open 200 more in Southern California alone — nearly double the number operated here by In-N-Out. Next up is a Culver City location, set to open in mid-April.

But to really make inroads here, Five Guys will have to get past a major hurdle: the intense loyalty of In-N-Out customers.

"They're going to probably take market share from In-N-Out," West said. "Will they supplant In-N-Out? I don't think so.… In-N-Out is so cultish in Southern California, it's going to be hard to break that habit."

Rafael Bernardino, 50, an attorney who was lunching at a San Fernando Valley In-N-Out on a recent afternoon, has been eating In-N-Out burgers nearly all his life.

"We're very loyal to In-N-Out," said Bernardino, who had ordered a Double-Double, fries and a Coke. "My mom loves it. My dad loves it."

Five Guys, based in Lorton, Va., outside Washington, was founded in 1986 in nearby Arlington by five brothers in the Murrell family. They opened five of the restaurants and then started franchising, according to company spokeswoman Molly Catalano. Last year the privately held chain had sales of $721 million, she said.