Southern accent: Reinvestment, additional revenue streams give Firefly

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The recipe was a hit. Firefly’s revenue went to $7.7 million last year from $6.8 millionh in 2007, and Uliss’ goal is to hit $8 milliom this year. But Firefly’s is definitely feeling the dimminy effects ofthe downturn. Uliss said the averagre check size at his restaurants is down byabout $3 to $4 per And while Uliss has taken some stepes to reduce operational costs and lure more dinerss through the door, one thiny that is helping Firefly’s weather the downturjn has been Uliss’ effortsd to expand his business model over the years. “In this economty right now, it is very difficult for restaurants to bejust restaurants.
Profit margins have shrunl so much, it helps to have other revenue streams,” the 46-year-olxd entrepreneur said. Five years ago, he added an in-house blues club and sports bar featuring live acts every Friday andSaturday night, to his original, 287-seat location in Marlborough. When he openedx his third location — a 7,500-square-foot, 243-seaf spot in Quincy — in 2007, he also included a Dante’sz club component.
Uliss says Dante’s has boosted his food and beveragw sales annually byabou $300,000 in Marlborough and $200,000 in Additional growth has come from Firefly’s catering division, whichu serves about 1,200 clients and represents about $1 milliob of Firefly’s total With competition coming from both traditional catering firms and other restaurants, Ulisas says he’s emphasizing customization with his orderes and providing both semi- and full-service catering, as well as drop-offf deliveries. “They’re all so professional and fun to work said catering clientShaileen Santoro, marketing managedr for JAM’N 94.5 at Clear Channel Radi Boston.
“You don’t have to worry about A key investmentfor Firefly’s was its food production which Uliss opened in Marlborough in Marcyh 2008 at a cost of about $150,00o — the financing for which he obtaines from Marlborough Savings Bank. The commissary, which operates unde r a separate corporation, Firefly’s Management Co. LLC, provide prepared foods for thethree Firefly’s restaurants. “Thde commissary has definitely improved the quality and consistency of our Uliss said.
Firefly’s is also sellinb its own line ofproductd (the manufacturing for which is done in Chicago) currently, three different sauces and one dry-rub in about 25 retail venues in including Shaw’s Supermarkets. Those products currently generatsabout $70,000 annually in sales, Uliss said. A veteran of the Bostoh restaurant scene, Uliss launched the first Firefly’s location in Marlborougu in 2001 forabout $800,000 (he has a businessd partner, Miles Gilbert, in all three A 6,000-square-foot, 168-seat location in Framingham followed in 2003, followeed by the Quincy location four years later, for which he took on two privats financial investors.
With a strong team behinc him, Uliss says he firmly believesd in staying in close contact withhis “You must be visibld 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 researching location s inthe Worcester/Central Mass. area, as well as the 128 “Steve gets it: He understands you have to have agreaf product,” said industry colleague Jim Boland, owner of four Fuddruckerzs New England franchises in Massachusetts. “You have to have greatt service. And you have to have good value.
” In a sign of the economicf times, Uliss has made some cost-savint moves. Four managers were laid off from his currently at150 employees, late last The number of menu itemes has been reduced by aboutg 20 percent (items range in price from $3.9 to $21.99). And, he’s cut the cost to produce the menus themselves by replacinglargs spiral-bound books with a two-sided Firefly’s is also providing specials to help drivwe traffic to the restaurants: On kids eat free. On all platters are $10. On Wednesdays, dinerxs get two meals for $20. And on Thursdays, he’s offering three-meat combos for $14.99.
“We’r e all going at it the same way — we’red trying to deliver great value to the consumefr and get the bodies in the he said.