SAUGUS — Dean Murphy, an employee at the town’s Kelly’s Roast Beef location, has retired after 50 years of service at the franchise.
Murphy, who started working at Kelly’s in 1974, was the general manager at the Saugus location when it opened.
Murphy served as the general manager there for a number of years before leaving the store to work on the corporate side of the business, becoming director of vendor relations in the mid-2010s.
Nick Grillo, a general manager at the Saugus location who worked with Murphy for more than 20 years, said that Murphy was always great to work with and always worked hard.
Despite moving to the corporate side of the business, Murphy did not forget the Saugus location, as Grillo said that he came back for a period of time when the store needed a general manager.
Grillo said that Murphy was constantly working, “always on top of it,” and frequently took notes.
Due to Murphy’s long tenure at Kelly’s, Grillo said that a majority of the people at the Saugus location have worked for him or with him, but they certainly all know Murphy. He wished Murphy a happy and relaxing retirement.
Kelly’s wrote in an email that Murphy has been “instrumental” to the success of the business over his career.
“Dean started working for Kelly’s on Revere Beach in April of 1974. He was the opening general manager of the Saugus location in 1994 and was promoted to a director position in the early 2000s,” Kelly’s wrote. “Thank you Dean for half a century of dedication to the business and the loyal customers of Kelly’s Roast Beef.”