Kelly’s Roast Beef aims to bring a taste of its hometown to new communities throughout the Northeast with the launch of its franchise opportunity.
Over the next 24 months, Kelly’s expects to open as many as six new restaurants across Greater Boston and other parts of New England, including Natick, Quincy, Worcester, and Providence. In addition to traditional brick and mortar locations, Kelly’s is eyeing “express” locations in mall food courts and at local universities as part of the expansion plans. The ultimate goal is to have as many as 50 total locations open and operating in the next five years.
“Kelly’s is a known brand that people love. People associate it with Boston similarly to the way people associate In-N-Out Burger with California. Customers have a passion for the brand and there are very few franchise opportunities out there founded on over 70 years of history,” said Neil Newcomb, CEO of Kelly’s Roast Beef franchising. “We look forward to welcoming new partners who are ready to bring our revolutionary brand to new communities.”
The history of Kelly’s dates back to 1951, when founders Frank McCarthy and Ray Carey first worked together at the Paul Roger House in Revere Beach. The duo decided to go into business together and opened up a hot dog stand next door while continuing to work at the inn’s restaurant. The roast beef sandwich was created on a whim one night after a wedding was cancelled, and the two took the roast beef from the event over to their hot dog stand and served it on a grilled hamburger roll.
Today, a busy location during its peak season can sell upwards of 20,000 roast beef sandwiches a month. Across its multiple locations, Kelly’s estimates one million sandwiches sold a year. Kelly’s hasn’t gone toward a commissary set-up. Instead, each location roasts its beef in-house all through the day, ensuring that sandwiches can still be carved to order as they have been for decades.
