The smell of roast beef wafting through the streets of Allston will soon disappear as Kelly’s Roast Beef is set to close their Allston branch on Sunday, Dec. 11, restaurant officials said.
Kelly’s, a family friendly restaurant that opened in Revere in 1951, will close its Allston location this weekend after a year and a half of business, said Dean Murphy, director of operations at Kelly’s.
“We just weren’t drawing the people in that we needed to draw in,” Murphy said in a phone interview.
With five other flagship restaurants in Massachusetts, including restaurants in Medford and Natick, the Kelly’s Allston branch, located at the intersection of Harvard and Commonwealth Avenues, was the most recent addition, opening in May 2010.
Kelly’s prides itself on its original roast beef sandwich, a staple on the menu to this day, Murphy said.
The restaurant chain sells approximately one million roast beef sandwiches a year, according to its website, which range in price from $6.25 for a small sandwich to $7.25 for a large sandwich.
Murphy said the restaurant’s quality food contributed to the branch’s financial troubles.
“We work with a higher food cost than a lot of restaurants,” Murphy said. “We use a lot of fresh ingredients, we cook to order, we don’t use a lot of frozen products and we have portion sizes that are typically larger than the average restaurant.”
Murphy said the chain was hopeful when they opened a restaurant located between Boston University and Boston College and close to Harvard College.
“We thought it was a good spot for us, a good fit,” he said.
The restaurant expected to gain a large number of student customers from these institutions. However “it just never happened,” Murphy said.
Joe, a customer eating at Kelly’s who wished to only give his first name, has lived in Allston since September and visited Kelly’s three times since moving there.
Joe, who ordered a large roast beef sandwich, said he appreciated the quick service, extended business hours and quality food.
“I will miss it being around,” Joe said. “I’ve been to other Kelly’s too because I grew up in the Boston area, so it was always nice to see it around and know that it was here.”
Travis, a Harvard Law student came to Kelly’s to try the food before it closed.
“I got a chicken sandwich and it was very good,” said Travis. “I am now upset that they will not be here anymore, I would get more of those.”
The Kelly’s chicken sandwich, Travis said, was the best he had eaten in the past year. He also said the restaurant was a great study location.
While this branch of Kelly’s is closing, Massachusetts residents should expect another branch to open in the future.
“We are absolutely looking to open more locations,” Murphy said.
Kelly’s is open from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. until it closes its door for the last time on Sunday.
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