SWAMPSCOTT – There was little fanfare or publicity surrounding the soft opening but when Five Guys Burgers and Fries opened at 980 Paradise Road on Monday morning, there wasn’t an empty seat in the house.Five Guys Burgers and Fries is based in Virgina and is just starting to make inroads in New England, according to Gregg Vasey, who owns the Swampscott store and rights for franchises in Essex and Barnstable Counties. The restaurant chain prides itself on using fresh ground beef and fresh potatoes for its fries. The burger franchise has more than 280 stores nationwide and the Swampscott location is the first on the North Shore.Vasey, a Connecticut native, is currently finishing up an MBA at University of Chicago and plans on living in the Boston area with his fiancée. He said he is thrilled with the great turnout on Monday.”I think the enthusiasm in the area was very high,” he said. “I’m thrilled to be doing business in town. I’ve met some of the local personalities and everyone has been very welcoming. People are offering a lot of encouragement. To the extent we can help local economy and community, we’re happy to do what we can. We hired 45 local people to work for us.”Five Guys Burgers has been in the news recently after First Lady Michelle Obama and President Barack Obama visited the Five Guys burger joint in Washington, D.C.”The Obama buzz certainly doesn’t hurt,” he said. “When the world’s number one celebrity loves your burgers it can’t hurt. I used to live in Washington, D.C. I was a Five Guys addict when I lived there – part of me got in the business to support my addiction.”Andy Rose, one of the principals with Centercorp which owns the property, said the restaurant was slammed during what was supposed to be a soft opening.”They did twice the business they expected to on Monday,” he said. “From 11:15 a.m. until well past 6:30 p.m. there was a 35-minute wait. This is the first one on the North Shore and it got a great reception. With Friendly’s and Wendy’s gone from Vinnin Square it really fills a void. It’s a simple idea done right.”Rose said before he agreed to lease the property to Five Guys he had business partners, family members and close friends eat at some of the franchises around the country.”It’s a simple idea done right,” he said. “It’s a good fit for that property. We had a Kentucky Fried Chicken and a Taco Bell that wanted to go in there but we didn’t think that was a good fit.”Rose said the 6,200 square foot building where the restaurant is located also houses a T-Mobile store, which is currently doing very well. Rose said he hopes Dunkin’ Donuts would open there in the near future as well.”I just filed my application for a permit for a drive through for Dunkin’ Donuts,” he said. “I expect the application to be heard by the Zoning Board of Appeals in July.”