Kelly's Roast Beef

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.[1]

Kelly's Roast Beef
Kelly's location at Revere Beach.
Restaurant information
SloganCreator of the Original Roast Beef Sandwich
Established1951
Street address410 Revere Beach Boulevard
CityRevere
CountySuffolk County
StateMassachusetts
Postal/ZIP Code02151
CountryUnited States
Other locationsDanvers
Medford
Saugus
Websitekellysroastbeef.com

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.[2][3]

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[4] and Chowhound,[5] and placings on top ten lists of the area's best.[6]

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.[7]

Locations

The chain has four locations, including the flagship restaurant in Revere.[8] They are located in Danvers, Medford, and Saugus, all cities in Massachusetts.

Two other locations have closed. One in the Allston section of Boston closed in December 2011 after less than expected sales performance. Another in Natick closed in January 2018 when its lease expired.

References
  1. "Frank McCarthy, food store owner; in Revere, aided many in need; 66", Boston Globe, 30 September 1982
  2. Kennedy, Louise, "At Kelly's, roast beef sandwiches rule", The Boston Globe, May 18, 2011
  3. Cf. "Kelly's History" Archived 2010-09-25 at the Wayback Machine, company website
  4. "Kelly's Roast Beef". Yelp.com. Retrieved August 23, 2012.
  5. "Lobster roll at Kelly's -- v good value". chowhound.com. Retrieved August 23, 2012.
  6. "New England's Best: Lobster Roll". WHDH TV7 News. August 22, 2003. Archived from the original on January 13, 2013.
  7. "Boston, Clam Roll-Episode AD1B03". Food Network. Archived from the original on July 20, 2012. Retrieved August 25, 2012.
  8. "Kelly's locations". Archived from the original on 2010-09-25. Retrieved 2010-06-21.
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