Established 1951 | ||
Slogan Creator of the Original Roast Beef Sandwich Street address 410 Revere Beach Boulevard | ||
Kelly's Roast Beef is a regional fast food restaurant chain located in Massachusetts. It is known for its roast beef sandwiches and lobster rolls as well as other seafood. It was founded in 1951 in the city of Revere, Massachusetts on Revere Beach shoreline by two partners, Frank V. McCarthy and Raymond Carey. Neither partner wanted to be the namesake of the restaurant, so they decided to name it after a mutual friend, Thomas Kelley, a florist from Dorchester.
Contents
The chain's menu consists primarily of sandwiches, seafood and shellfish, as well as its signature roast beef. The restaurant features a drive-thru at every location except at Revere Beach. In order to compete with fast food giants like McDonald's and Burger King, the company added chicken fingers and french fries to their menu.
Kelly's claims to have invented the modern roast beef sandwich, stating it was unknown as such before they introduced it in 1951.
Menu and recognition
In spite of its name, Kelly's Roast Beef, is also noted for its lobster roll, with frequent mentions on reader contributor websites like Yelp and Chowhound, and placings on top ten lists of the area's best.
Kelly's has become nationally known and has been featured in the PBS documentary Sandwiches That You Will Like and on the Food Network show $40 a Day.
Locations
The chain has five locations, including the flagship restaurant in Revere. They are located in Danvers, Medford, Natick, and Saugus, all cities in Massachusetts.
A sixth location in the Allston section of Boston closed in December 2011 after less than expected sales performance.