Iconic Massachusetts chain continues to scope out franchise locations
Boston’s famous Kelly’s Roast Beef wants to expand the brand to neighboring New Hampshire, across New England and beyond. The beloved staple which has been in Boston for over 70 years has announced plans to develop new restaurants across Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and now New Hampshire. The brand is announcing they want to open three new franchise locations in the Concord and Manchester areas of the state.
This planned expansion announcement comes after the brand launched its franchise opportunity last year, opening up the opportunity for qualified candidates to launch a Kelly’s of their own. Looking to bring a taste of Boston to new communities throughout the Northeast is Neil Newcomb, CEO of Kelly’s Roast Beef Franchising. As a franchise industry veteran who co-founded McAlister’s Deli, Newcomb has plans to grow Kelly’s to up to 50 locations in the next five years and believes that Concord and Manchester are great communities for Kelly’s Roast Beef.
“As we continue to grow, we have gotten a lot of interest in New Hampshire,” said Newcomb. “People want us to grow in areas like Concord and Manchester so they don’t have to drive an hour to reach the nearest Kelly’s. We are excited to grow in New England communities like these where we can reach long-time Kelly’s fans while also introducing the brand to newcomers.”
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 iconic 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. Since then, the Kelly’s Roast Beef sandwich has become a local legend.
Newcomb launched Kelly’s Roast Beef’s franchise opportunity just before the pandemic, and has been connecting with prospects steadily, despite in-person limitations.
“The timing of everything has slowed us down a little bit, but our plans to grow are still very solid,” added Newcomb. “We have been in touch with a lot of great prospects who want to open up their own Kelly’s, and we know that this growth will be well-received by the local community.”
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 a staggering one million sandwiches sold a year. The figures are impressive, but equally impressive is that even in the face of tremendous volume, Kelly’s hasn’t gone towards 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. Other beloved menu items include fried clams, lobster rolls, crispy french fries, onion rings, hot dogs, and chicken finger plates.
Founded in 1951 and franchising since 2020, Kelly’s Roast Beef is the inventor of the modern roast beef sandwich. Kelly’s roasts its beef in-house all through the day, serves everything fresh and made-to-order, and estimates serving a staggering one million sandwiches a year. The brand has become a symbol for Boston and has been referenced in pop culture, including in 30 Rock and Good Will Hunting. Today, there are five locations open in the Boston metropolitan area. Including a franchise fee of $40,000, the total initial investment to open a Kelly’s franchise is $900,000-$1.7 million. For the first 10 franchise agreements signed, the royalty will be 3% year one, 4% year two, and 5% for the remainder of the term.
For more information, visit https://kellysroastbeeffranchise.com.
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