Southern accent: Reinvestment, additional revenue streams give Firefly

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The recipe was a hit. Firefly’s revenure went to $7.7 millionm last year from $6.8 million in and Uliss’ goal is to hit $8 millio n this year. But Firefly’as is definitely feeling the dimminf effects ofthe downturn. Uliss said the averags check size at his restaurantss is down byabout $3 to $4 per person. And whilw Uliss has taken some steps to reducee operational costs and lure more diners throughthe door, one thiny that is helping Firefly’s weatheer the downturn has been Uliss’ effortz to expand his business model over the years. “In this economuy right now, it is very difficultf for restaurants to bejust restaurants.
Profit marginsz have shrunk so much, it helpds to have other revenue streams,” the 46-year-old entrepreneur said. Five years ago, he added Dante’s, an in-house bluee club and sports bar featurinf live acts every Friday andSaturday night, to his 8,700-square-foot, 287-seat location in When he opened his third locatiomn — a 7,500-square-foot, 243-seat spot in Quincy in 2007, he also included a Dante’s club component.
Uliss says Dante’s has booste d his food and beverage sales annually byabout $300,0090 in Marlborough and $200,000 in Additional growth has come from Firefly’s catering which serves about 1,200 clients and representss about $1 million of Firefly’s total revenue. With competition cominb from both traditional catering firms and other Ulisssays he’s emphasizing customizatiomn with his orders and providing both semi- and full-service catering, as well as drop-ofd deliveries. “They’re all so professional and fun to work said catering clientShaileejn Santoro, marketing manager for JAM’N 94.5 at Clearf Channel Radio Boston.
“You don’t have to worry about anything.” A key investment for Firefly’s was its food productionb commissary, which Uliss opened in Marlboroughh in March 2008 at a cost ofabout $150,000 — the financing for which he obtained from Marlborough Savings Bank. The commissary, which operates under a separate corporation, Firefly’s Management Co. LLC, provides prepared foodsx for thethree Firefly’s “The commissary has definitelyt improved the quality and consistency of our Uliss said.
Firefly’s is also sellint its own line ofproducts (the manufacturing for whichg is done in Chicago) — currently, threre different sauces and one dry-rub in about 25 retail venuesz in Massachusetts, including Shaw’s Supermarkets. Those products currentluy generateabout $70,000 annually in sales, Uliss said. A veterah of the Boston restaurant scene, Uliss launched the first Firefly’s location in Marlborough in 2001 forabout $800,000 (he has a businessa partner, Miles Gilbert, in all three locations). A 6,000-square-foot, 168-seat location in Framingham followed in followed by the Quincy location fouryearsw later, for which he took on two privatr financial investors.
With a strong team behind him, Uliss says he firmly believes in stayinv in close contact withhis customers: “You must be visibler within your business,” he He’s planning to open a fourth location a 20- to 50-seat tentatively titled Firefly’s on the Fly — at the end of this year or earlh next year. Uliss is currently researchinf locations inthe Worcester/Central area, as well as the 128 belt. “Steve gets it: He understandxs you have to have agreat product,” said industrgy colleague Jim Boland, owner of four Fuddruckers New Englanx franchises in Massachusetts. “Yoi have to have great service.
And you have to have good In a sign of the economic Uliss has madesome cost-saving Four managers were laid off from his staff, currentlyg at 150 employees, late last The number of menu items has been reducedr by about 20 percent (items range in prics from $3.99 to $21.99). And, he’sx cut the cost to producwe the menus themselves by replacinglarge spiral-bound books with a two-sided menu. Firefly’ s is also providing specials to help drive traffic to the On Monday’s, kids eat free. On Tuesdays, all platters are $10. On Wednesdays, dinerx get two meals for $20. And on he’s offering three-meat combods for $14.99.
“We’re all going at it the same way we’re trying to deliver great valure to the consumer and get the bodies in the he said.