Firefly women bring delicious BBQ to Mass. while honoring their father’s legacy

MARLBORO, Mass. — In the heart of Marlborough, along East Main Street, Firefly BBQ stands out with its neon sign — a hard-to-miss landmark.

Customers rave about its welcoming atmosphere and comforting, soul-satisfying food.

What’s missing, though, is the man who poured his heart into every dish for the past 23 years: Steve Uliss.

Steve passed away suddenly from a heart attack in November, leaving his wife, Amy, and daughters, Carly and Rachel, to manage the business they’d never planned to run.

“The business side has been a huge learning curve for all of us,” Rachel admitted.

“We had no choice. We had to do it,” said Amy. “We didn’t know how we were going to do it, but we did.”

Carly said there was no manual to follow.

“We, the Uliss girls, we are doers. We just keep going,” she said.

Steve had been the heart and soul of Firefly BBQ, creating the menu, recipes, and handling every business detail. “He did everything. He was the full picture,” Carly said.

But one thing Steve did leave behind was a powerful recipe for success: exceptional customer service.

Together with family and employees, the Uliss girls have worked tirelessly to keep Firefly BBQ open and thriving in the wake of their loss. Thanks to a new social media push, they say business is growing.

New customers from across New England are driving in for their BBQ fix.

“We’ve had people from Maine and New Hampshire telling us that they found us through social media, which is amazing,” Carly shared.

She added that the new customers blend perfectly with the regulars who knew and loved Steve.

“We’ve had people come out of nowhere, sharing stories about my dad, like how he made their 15th birthday special. Those little moments show us that my dad didn’t just run a BBQ restaurant. He made a real impact on people’s lives,” Carly said.

It’s this legacy that the Uliss girls are determined to preserve.

“Our goal is to keep Firefly BBQ going for years to come, honoring my dad’s legacy and making him proud,” Carly said.

All the while, they know Steve is watching over them.

Firefly’s BBQ also sells BBQ sauce and Whiskey. For more information, visit the link here.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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