WORCESTER – The famous Kelly’s Roast Beef has put Worcester on its list of several locations to expand its franchise over the next two years.
Founded in Revere, Kelly’s expects to open as many as six new restaurants across New England, including in Worcester, Natick, Quincy and Providence.
In addition to traditional brick and mortar locations, Kelly’s is also considering opening “express” locations in mall food courts and at local universities.
Today, there are five locations open in the Boston metropolitan area. Within the next five years, Kelly’s hopes to have as many as 50 locations open and operating .
“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.”
Kelly’s says that on a busy day in its peak season, a restuarant can sell nearly 20,000 roast beef sandwiches a month. Over the course of a year, Kelly’s locations sell one million sandwiches.
The sandwich itself is made up of thin sliced 25-day aged, medium rare roasted sirloin-tip meat on a buttered, griddled hamburger roll, and topped with any condiments the customer ordered plus a slice of cheese. A small sandwich gets five to six ounces of roast beef, while a large gets seven-and-a-half to eight-and-a-half.
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 a staggering one million sandwiches sold a year.
Kelly’s other menu items include fried clams, lobster rolls, crispy french fries, onion rings, hot dogs, and chicken finger plates.
