Kelseys Original Roadhouse is a Canadian restaurant chain headquartered in Vaughan, Ontario owned by Recipe Unlimited. Founded in 1978, there are Kelseys restaurants in Ontario, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland and Labrador.
History
Kelseys Original Roadhouse was founded by the Jeffery brothers, Paul, Peter, and Perry, who opened the first location in Oakville, Ontario, in 1978. Inspired by classic American roadhouses and their frequent road trips, they created a Canadian roadhouse concept featuring dishes like potato skins and New York-style wings. The restaurant's name honors the founder's favorite restaurant in the Chicago area, The Kelsey Road House at the corner of Northwest Highway and Kelsey Road in Lake Barrington, Illinois, an independent business that continues to operate as of 2026.
Marketing
Kelseys has a licensing agreement through early 2011 with CBS Consumer Products for the rights to the theme song from the 1980s sitcom Cheers, which the chain says could lead to "other opportunities" in the future.[1]