Five Guys CEO Gives Employees Big Bonus, Makes Luigi Mangione Joke

Five Guys CEO Jerry Murrell would much rather give workers a big bonus than take a bullet.

He doled out $1.5M in bonuses to his employees after a birthday burger BOGO deal completely backfired ... and seemed to crack a Luigi Mangione joke in the process.

In a phone call with Fortune, he quipped ... "I didn’t want anybody shooting me in the back or anything."

When the promotion launched last month -- in celebration of Five Guys' 40th birthday -- stores were so mobbed, they ran out of food ... which stressed out crews and pissed off customers.

Murrell mused they "really screwed it up," saying ... "We had no idea that we were going to get that kind of response."

He joked he almost used the money to spoil his wife with "a new fur coat," adding ... "I spent it on [the bonus] instead. She still looks at me like I’m stupid."

But jokes aside, he said the decision to give back to his employees was "worth it," noting ... "They worked so hard. They were so overwhelmed."