US burger chain Five Guys is heading to Australia

Hands up if you thought a ceasefire had been declared in Sydney's burger wars. Celebrity chefs might be backing away from the sector, but the Americans are seemingly just warming up.

While In-N-Out Burger keeps teasing locals with pop-ups and taking legal action over trademark infringement against local operator Down N' Out, another US giant has quietly snuck onto our soil.

Five Guys, known for its fresh burgers and milkshakes topped with crumbled applewood-smoked bacon, has moved on sites in the Sydney CBD.

Good Food can reveal Seagrass Boutique Hospitality – the group behind local restaurants The Meat & Wine Co, Hunter & Barrel and the new 6 Head – has picked up the local master franchise for Five Guys.

A quick internet search of Five Guys reveals that when it hasn't been busy firing a handful of employees for refusing to serve police in the US, the chain has won a shelf full of awards and was reported a few years ago as America's fastest-growing restaurant chain.

A Sydney opening en route to expansion across Australia and New Zealand will add to existing Five Guys international outposts in London and Paris. A Seagrass spokeswoman confirmed negotiations are under way on city sites: "We are looking to open our first store in early 2021."

The group will then look for sites in Melbourne and Brisbane, the spokeswoman said.