From the filings
Software purchasing at Kelly’s Roast Beef Franchising is controlled at the corporate level, with President Neil M. Newcomb and VP & Director of Operations Dan Doherty listed as key executives in the 2024 FDD. The system currently mandates a Broadline POS system across its 9 locations. With only 5 franchised and 4 company-owned units, the addressable market is small but growing at 150% year-over-year unit growth, signaling potential for early-stage vendor partnerships.
For software vendors selling into US franchise brands.
Live signals
Ongoing fee load
The recurring percentage of gross sales named in this filing, before rent, labour or any technology fee.
6%of gross sales (FY2024)
15% reference
Franchisor behaviours
25 requirements the franchisor states in this filing, each in its own words; 3 explicit no's; 6 questions the text does not settle, which is not a no.
Accounting
Does the franchisor have direct or independent electronic access to the franchisee's financial, sales or customer records?
YesItem 11
We will have independent access to the information and data on the computer system, and there are no contractual limitations on our right to access that information.
Must the franchisee submit periodic financial statements (monthly, quarterly or annual) to the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
You must, at your expense, submit to us, in the form prescribed by us, the following reports for the Franchised Restaurant: (a) a monthly profit and loss and balance sheet (both of which may be unaudited) within 20 days after the end of each calendar month; (b) a year to date quarterly profit and loss statement and…
How the franchisor buys
Does the franchisor reserve the right to change designated suppliers or systems at any time?
YesItem 11
We reserve the right to specify a vendor or supplier and, if acquired through us, charge you for such hardware, software, support, and other related services ourselves.
Item 8 gives this proportion in one of two shapes: separate percentages for establishing the business and for operating it, or one figure covering "establishing and operating" together. Where they are separate, answer with the operating percentage; where the passage gives only the combined figure, answer with that. What percentage of the franchisee's purchases must come from designated or approved suppliers?
90Item 8
We estimate that the purchase of products from us, our affiliates, or our approved or designated suppliers and/or products that are subject to our standards and specifications represents approximately 10% of your overall purchases in establishing the Franchised Restaurant and 90% of your overall purchases in…
Does the franchisor charge a fee to evaluate a proposed supplier?
YesItem 8
You agree to pay to us a reasonable fee, not to exceed the actual cost of the inspection and testing the proposed product or evaluating the proposed supplier, including personnel and travel costs, whether or not the product or supplier is accepted.
Can a franchisee propose a new supplier for the franchisor's approval?
YesFranchise agreement
If you would like to purchase other products or services from a supplier to whom we have not consented, you must submit a written request for consent.
Communications
Does the franchisor own or control the business telephone numbers, or take them over when the agreement ends?
YesFranchise agreement
We will have the option, exercisable by written notice within 30 days after the termination or expiration of this Agreement, to take an assignment of all telephone numbers, facsimile numbers, domain names, social media accounts (and associated domain names) or other numbers, names and directory listings…
Data and IT
Must the franchisee comply with PCI, data-security or cybersecurity standards set by the franchisor?
YesItem 11
comply with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (“PCI DSS”) at all times
Franchise management
Must the franchisee participate in a customer-satisfaction or net-promoter survey program?
YesFranchise agreement
You agree to participate in programs initiated to verify customer satisfaction and/or your compliance with all operational and other aspects of the System, including (but not limited to) an 800 number, secret shoppers or other programs as we may require.
Does the franchisor conduct periodic inspections, audits or evaluations of the franchised business?
YesFranchise agreement
We and our designees have the right, but not the obligation, at any time during normal business hours to: (a) conduct inspections of (and photograph and record) the Franchised Location and the Franchised Restaurant;
Can the franchisor change the operations manual and brand standards unilaterally?
YesItem 11
We may revise the contents of the Manual, and you agree to comply with each new or changed section.
Must the franchisor approve the franchisee's site or location before opening?
YesFranchise agreement
You may not make any binding commitments to purchase or lease a site until we have accepted the site in writing.
Marketing
Is the franchisee prohibited from operating its own website or social media accounts, or required to use pages the franchisor provides?
YesItem 11
You may not establish an independent site or page on any Social Media.
Is a minimum grand opening advertising spend required?
YesItem 7
Under the Grand Opening Plan, you will be required to spend a minimum of $10,000 on grand opening advertising over the period beginning one month prior to opening and continuing through the second month after opening.
Is the franchisee required to spend a minimum amount on local advertising or marketing, as a percentage of sales or a fixed amount?
YesItem 11
As of the issuance date of this disclosure document, you must spend 1% of Fiscal Period Gross Sales on local marketing.
Must the franchisee participate in a customer loyalty or rewards program?
YesFranchise agreement
You must adopt, at your expense, those customer quality and assurance programs that we specify, including, but not limited to, participation in programs associated with guest satisfaction.
Must the franchisee participate in a regional advertising cooperative when one exists?
YesItem 11
If a Regional Advertising Fund is established for a geographical area that includes the Franchised Location, you must contribute to that Regional Advertising Fund in the amount that we specify.
Operations
Must equipment be purchased from designated or approved suppliers?
YesItem 8
We have the right to require that all food and non-food products, supplies, equipment and services that you purchase for use, sale or resale in the Franchised Restaurant: (a) meet specifications that we establish from time to time; (b) be purchased only from suppliers to whom we have consented (which may include us…
Payments
Are royalties and other fees collected by automatic bank debit (ACH or electronic funds transfer) from the franchisee's account?
YesItem 6
You must participate in our electronic funds transfer program, which authorizes us to use a pre-authorized bank draft system.
People
Does the franchisor require minimum staffing levels or specific roles?
YesFranchise agreement
The Franchised Restaurant must employ 1 general manager and at least 2 assistant managers each of whom have met our training requirements for their position.
Must employees wear uniforms specified by the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
You must enforce all dress and appearance standards for employees that we may establish.
Point of sale
Must the franchisee use a specific point-of-sale system designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesItem 8
As of the issuance date of this disclosure document, we require a Broadline POS System.
Does the franchisor have independent access to the data in the franchisee's POS or computer system?
YesItem 11
We will have independent access to the information and data on the computer system, and there are no contractual limitations on our right to access that information.
Training
Can the franchisor charge the franchisee for additional, refresher or remedial training?
YesItem 11
We may charge a fee for these courses as determined by us.
Is attendance at an annual convention or conference mandatory for the franchisee?
YesFranchise agreement
We may require you (or your Operating Principal), your managerial personnel, training personnel and/or other previously trained and experienced staff members to attend and complete satisfactorily various training courses that we periodically choose to provide at the times and locations that we designate, as well as…
Who buys here
The decision-maker a vendor sells to at this scale, and the gaps they’re paid to close, derived from our data by segment and unit count, not a guess.
The franchisee/operator personally, or a small franchisor still owner-run. Wears every hat.
Kelly’s Roast Beef Franchising operates a compact but growing quick-service restaurant system of 9 total units—5 franchised and 4 company-owned—headquartered in Massachusetts. The 2024 Franchise Disclosure Document reports an average unit volume (AUV) of $2,824,931, a figure that places individual locations well above many QSR peers. For software vendors, the immediate addressable market is small: just 9 units. However, year-over-year unit growth of 150% signals an aggressive expansion trajectory. A vendor that secures a mandate or preferred relationship now could scale alongside the brand as new franchised and corporate locations come online.
The royalty rate is 5.0% on gross sales, and the initial franchise term runs 20 years. These economics suggest franchisees have margin room to invest in operational technology that improves throughput or reduces labor costs. The renewal term, detailed in Item 17, is 10 years and comes with conditions that include renovating and modernizing the restaurant to reflect the then-current brand image—a clause that often triggers technology refreshes.
The 2024 FDD lists four executives in Item 1: Raymond E. Carey IV (Director), Lauren McCarthy (Director), Neil M. Newcomb (President), and Dan Doherty (Vice President & Director of Operations). In a system of this size, the President and VP of Operations are the most likely decision-makers for technology selection and vendor approvals. There is no separate CIO, CTO, or IT role disclosed, meaning operational leadership directly controls the software evaluation process. Vendors should direct outreach to Neil M. Newcomb and Dan Doherty, as they hold the titles with direct authority over restaurant operations and, by extension, the tools those operations run on.
No multi-unit operators are mapped in our corpus, which reinforces the HQ-centric purchasing dynamic. With only 5 franchised locations, it is unlikely that any franchisee has independent procurement authority for core systems.
The only technology mandate disclosed in the 2024 FDD is a Broadline POS System. The FDD does not name a specific vendor for this POS, nor does it list additional mandated or recommended systems for back-office, inventory, labor scheduling, or loyalty. This narrow tech stack creates a greenfield opportunity for vendors in adjacent categories: if the brand is standardizing on a single POS, it may soon need complementary tools for online ordering, delivery integration, or analytics.
Because the FDD does not extract Item 8 procurement language, we cannot confirm whether the Broadline POS is sourced through a designated supplier or an approved supplier program. Vendors should inquire directly about the procurement path during initial conversations.
Item 17 of the 2024 FDD outlines renewal conditions for franchisees seeking a successor 10-year term. Key conditions include: providing timely notice, being in substantial compliance with the expiring agreement, not being in default under any real estate lease, equipment lease, or financing instrument, and—critically—renovating and modernizing the restaurant to reflect the then-current brand image. This modernization requirement is a natural trigger point for technology evaluation. Franchisees approaching renewal will need to align their in-store tech with whatever the current brand standards are at that time, which may include POS upgrades, digital menu boards, or kitchen display systems.
Additionally, the brand’s 150% unit growth rate suggests new store openings are happening. Each new location represents a greenfield deployment opportunity for POS, networking, security, and back-office software. Vendors who engage now can position themselves as the standard for future locations.
The full 2024 Kelly’s Roast Beef Franchising FDD is embedded below. Focus your review on Item 11 for the franchisor’s obligations regarding technology and equipment, Item 8 for any procurement restrictions (not extracted in our corpus), and Item 17 for renewal and modernization triggers that often precede technology RFPs. The executive roster in Item 1 identifies the individuals who sign the agreement and hold operational authority. For software vendors, this document is the single most reliable source of truth on what the brand requires, who controls purchasing, and when contract events are likely to occur. When you are ready to prioritize franchise systems by vendor fit, FranCloud can build a ranked target list based on tech mandates, growth rates, and decision-maker access.
Questions vendors ask
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FDD alert
We’ll email you the moment Kelly’s Roast Beef Franchising files a new annual FDD, usually the freshest signal of a vendor change.
Operator footprint
Kelly’s Roast Beef Franchising’s FDD on file does not disclose a franchisee directory.
Related Quick service restaurant brands
Primary franchise filings · updated June 2026. Every figure is source-traceable and QA-checked.