The building has been renovated and a final occupancy permit has been issued: Five Guys Burgers and Fries officially opened today at 11 a.m.

Operating in the former Friendly’s building on Bath Road, the burgersand fries restaurant originated in Washington, D.C., but new franchises began to proliferate throughout North America in 2003.

The Five Guys at Cook’s Corner is the fourth to open in Maine, joining others in Bangor, Portland and South Portland.

Local franchise Vice President Gene Prentice isn’t ready to stop there.

“We absolutely are looking for other locations,” Prentice said. “We like bringing a new thing to Maine. We are 100 percent faithful to the original brand, which has changed very little since it was introduced in 1986.”

Prentice, his father Miles Prentice, and Jamal Bourote from Danvers, Mass., are the three principals in the local franchise.

More than 400 people applied to work at the new location. Some of the supervisors were brought in from the other stores to oversee the start-up. About 40 people have been hired so far, ranging from teenagers to senior citizens.

The building’s interior has been completely renovated with new tile, ceiling and decor. Externally, a new sign, paint, patio stones and landscaping, as well as a freshly seal-coated parking lot, have updated the former ice cream store’s appearance.

There are no freezers, all of the food is freshly prepared for each shift.

Preparation crews will empty 10 to 20 50-pound bags of potatoes each day, Bourote said.

All of the potatoes are from Idaho; materials sourcing is done at the corporate level and leaves no flexibility for the local franchises to contract with regional vendors.

The restaurant will be open seven days, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Five Guys had operated under a temporary, conditional certificate of occupancy since July 9.

“But now we’ve got the final official occupancy permit and we’re all set to go,” Prentice said.

The restaurant held an open house Monday offering free food for invited guests. Members of The Times Record attended the event, including editorial staffers.

¦ THE BURGERS-AND-FRIES restaurant originated in Washington, D.C., but new franchises began to proliferate throughout North America in 2003.

The Five Guys at Cook’s Corner in Brunswick is the fourth to open in Maine, joining others in Bangor, Portland and South Portland.