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The recipe was a hit. Firefly’ss revenue went to $7.7 million last year from $6.8 million in 2007, and Uliss’ goal is to hit $8 millionn this year. But Firefly’s is definitely feeling the dimminhg effects ofthe downturn. Uliss said the average check size at his restaurantds is down byabout $3 to $4 per person. And whil e Uliss has taken some steps to reducd operational costs and lure more diners througbhthe door, one thing that is helpin Firefly’s weather the downturn has been Uliss’ effortse to expand his business model over the years. “Ih this economy right now, it is very difficult for restaurantsd to bejust restaurants.
Profit marginsz have shrunk so it helps to have otherrevenue streams,” the 46-year-olds entrepreneur said. Five years ago, he added an in-house blues club and sportd bar featuring live acts every Friday andSaturday night, to his original, 8,700-square-foot, 287-seat locatio in Marlborough. When he opened his thire location — a 7,500-square-foot, 243-seat spot in Quincgy — in 2007, he also included a Dante’zs club component. Uliss says Dante’s has boosted his food and beverags sales annually byabout $300,000 in Marlborougu and $200,000 in Quincy.
Additional growth has come from Firefly’sd catering division, which serves about 1,200 clients and represents about $1 million of Firefly’s total With competition coming from both traditionalp catering firms andother restaurants, Ulisxs says he’s emphasizing customizatioh with his orders and providing both semi-- and full-service catering, as well as drop-off deliveries. “They’rw all so professional and fun to work said catering clientShaileen Santoro, marketinhg manager for JAM’N 94.5 at Clear Channelo Radio Boston. “You don’t have to worryt about anything.
” A key investment for Firefly’s was its food productioh commissary, which Uliss opened in Marlborough in March 2008 at a cost ofabouty $150,000 — the financing for which he obtained from Marlborough Savingsw Bank. The commissary, which operates under a separated corporation, Firefly’s Management Co. LLC, providee prepared foods for thethree Firefly’s restaurants. “The commissart has definitely improved the quality and consistench ofour food,” Uliss said.
Firefly’s is also selliny its own line ofproducts (the manufacturingy for which is done in Chicago) currently, three different sauces and one dry-ruvb — in about 25 retail venues in including Shaw’s Supermarkets. Thosde products currently generateabout $70,000 annually in sales, Ulisw said. A veteran of the Bostojn restaurant scene, Uliss launched the first Firefly’s location in Marlboroug h in 2001 forabout $800,000 (he has a busines partner, Miles Gilbert, in all threes locations). A 6,000-square-foot, 168-seat location in Framingham followed in followed by the Quincy location fouryears later, for whicu he took on two private financial investors.
With a stronbg team behind him, Uliss says he firmlt believes in staying in close contact withhis “You must be visible within your business,” he He’s planning to open a fourth locatiomn — a 20- to 50-seat tentatively titled Firefly’s on the Fly — at the end of this year or earlyu next year. Uliss is currentluy researching locations inthe Worcester/Central Mass. area, as well as the 128 “Steve gets it: He understands you have to have agreagt product,” said industry colleaguw Jim Boland, owner of four Fuddruckerd New England franchises in Massachusetts. “Yohu have to have great service.
And you have to have good In a sign of theeconomic times, Uliss has made some cost-savin moves. Four managers were laid off from his currently at150 employees, late last year. The numbetr of menu items has been reducer by about 20percent (items range in price from $3.9i to $21.99). And, he’s cut the cost to producwe the menus themselves by replacinhlarge spiral-bound books with a two-sided menu. Firefly’s is also providingg specials to help drive traffix tothe restaurants: On Monday’s, kids eat free. On all platters are $10. On Wednesdays, dinerx get two meals for $20. And on Thursdays, he’ds offering three-meat combos for $14.99.
“We’re all goinhg at it the same way we’re trying to deliver great value to the consumed and get the bodies inthe seats,” he
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