Alexandria, Va. – October 17, 2026 -- Jonathan Martinez of Kingston, New York, won the 2026 Five Guys Games and took home a tax-free $100,000 check, headlining a finale that closed the burger chain's 40th Anniversary Conference at The Theater at MGM National Harbor in Maryland.
Eight finalists compete across three speed-and-accuracy events
Eight finalists went head-to-head on May 13 in three events: the potato race, the cheese race and the dressing/QC race. Each event tests speed, skill and accuracy. Every finalist received at least $10,000.
Jackson Chimbay of Wallkill, New York, placed second and won $50,000. Peter Le of Derry, New Hampshire, took third and $25,000.
The remaining finalists were Joshua Harvey of Albuquerque, New Mexico; Jose Once of Spring Valley, New York; Carson Tate of Kingsport, Tennessee; Enock Akuwure of Liverpool, UK; and Aurelien Favreau of Clermont-Ferrand, France.
Competition draws on a 50,000-person workforce across store, regional and semifinal rounds
The Murrell family launched the Games in 2013 to reward store crew members. The contest is open to any crew member, manager or general manager among the chain's 50,000 employees. Participants advance through store, regional and semifinal rounds over several months.
The 2026 edition was the first in the event's history to be truly global, with finalists from the UK and France competing alongside six U.S. finalists.
"Our crews are our front line, and they deserve to be in the spotlight," Founder Jerry Murrell said.
Docuseries on the finalists' road to the finale streams this fall
Five Guys produced a human-interest docuseries with production studios Words + Pictures and Lost Tribe Creative. The series follows employees behind the counter as they compete for one of eight finale spots, in the U.S. and abroad. It streams this fall.
The two-day conference marked the chain's 40th anniversary, which fell on February 17.