Bring a Legend to Your Neighborhood
Our story has been nearly 75 years in the making. Ready to be part of the next chapter?
How a Roast Beef Sandwich Became a North Shore Icon
It all started in 1951 on Revere Beach: two friends, a hot dog stand, and one happy accident. The original Kelly’s founders served up freshly sliced roast beef sandwiches so good, people left asking for more. Spoiler alert: they still do.
From that humble seaside shack, Kelly’s Roast Beef became an icon—the founders of the legendary 3-way roast beef sandwich. Over the decades, we’ve hosted diners of all kinds: celebrities, tourists, locals, die-hard fans.
Now, we’re letting others in on legend status, giving franchise partners the chance to bring North Shore favorites across the country.
So...Why Kelly’s?
Just in case nearly 75 years of proof isn’t enough.
A Brand People Crave
On that fateful day back in 1951, Kelly’s created a demand for good food done right. The demand keeps the tradition alive even after all these years. Just ask our regulars. And The Food Network. And The Boston Globe. And PBS. You get the picture: a recognizable concept, broadcasted nationally, with decades of history and local lore.
A Team That’s Got Your Back
When you join us, you’re stepping into a legacy. From that point on, you’re one of us. We’ll hand you the keys to success that took us decades to discover: pre-opening training, a comprehensive guide to food prep and house procedures, and remote support when you need it. Just say the word and we're here for you.
Room to Grow
As quick as the service itself, fast-casual dining is rising in demand among today’s diners. With 3x the growth rate of the restaurant industry as a whole and $42.2 billion already generated by the fast casual segment...you do the math. Give the people what they want: real food prepared fast.
Frequently Asked Questions
We’ve built a system that’s ready to roll, but we still need capable hands at the helm. We’re looking for folks with restaurant management experience or investors teamed up with solid operators.
Everything but the beach. You’ll get training, operational playbooks, real estate guidance, marketing support, and the legendary recipes that made us a North Shore icon. We’ll have your back from day one, through grand opening and beyond.
Costs vary depending on location and size, but we’ll walk you through a clear breakdown once we connect. Expect startup costs typical of a premium QSR brand with high customer loyalty and proven ROI.
We don’t provide direct financing, but we’ll connect you with lenders who know the franchise space and can help qualified candidates get moving.
Yep. Like any franchise, we charge royalties as your business gets rolling. For your first 10 units, royalties are designed to ramp up. You'll pay 3% of gross sales during your first year of operation, 4% in your second year, and 5% from year three onward. It all goes toward what keeps Kelly’s strong: ongoing support, recipe and product development, supply chain improvements, marketing tools, training programs, and system upgrades.
We ask franchise owners to put at least 1% of net sales toward local marketing and promotions. The full breakdown of fees, terms, and fine print is available in the Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) we’ll walk through together.
Our standard agreement runs for 20 years with options to renew. We’re in this for the long haul, and we hope you are too.
Simple. Fill out our franchise interest form below. We’ll be in touch to review the details and talk next steps.
Join The Tradition
Ready to carve out your own spot in the Kelly’s legacy?
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