Roast Beast Jumps Into the Franchising Game

Roast Beast is now looking to open franchises, the Allston restaurant tweeted today, adding: "We hope Boston's favorite sandwich becomes America's favorite!" The fine print on the website indicates that a number of states are currently off-limits pending some necessary paperwork, but roast beef lovers in most parts of the country can jump on this potential opportunity right away.

The roast beef shop opened in a cozy basement space in Allston's Packards Corner in 2011, serving up a simple menu of sandwiches (roast beef, turkey, chicken, and pulled pork on a few different types of rolls and with a variety of toppings and sauces). Spice lovers can try the Thermonuclear Challenge, which involves eating a sandwich doused in a ghost chili-based sauce in five minutes. (The prize: a t-shirt and a photo on the restaurant's Wall of Beasts.)

Earlier this year, owner D.J. Lawton told Boston College's The Heights that he's had opportunities to expand downtown, but he has been worried about the financial risks involved. Even so, at the the time, he did look forward to expanding in the future and "possibly franchis[ing] his business when the time is right."

Now, Amber Alagich, chief operating officer of the Roast Beast franchise system, tells Eater that people have been saying for years that the restaurant should franchise. "We have customers from all over saying they wish they had one back home," Alagich says. "It was important to us that we partnered with the right team to do so. Luckily, the perfect team came along and it just felt right." They're currently in talks with their first franchisee group, which may open a location in downtown Boston or on the North Shore.