Ninety years after opening its very first location and serving generations of families across the country, a beloved family restaurant chain continues to shrink its footprint, threatening its long history and signaling the possible end of an era.
Friendly’s has permanently closed its last Massachusetts restaurant, located at 146 Church St., Pembroke, in Boston, marking the end of a nine-decade legacy.
Following years of multiple restaurant closures, Friendly’s now operates only four restaurants across two states, including three in New Jersey and one in New York.
Remaining Friendly’s restaurants:
- 240 Rte. 46 East, Elmwood Park, New Jersey 07407
- 1463 Raritan Road, Clark, New Jersey 07066
- 1826 Hempstead Turnpike, East Meadow, New York 11554
- 550 Middlesex Avenue, Metuchen, New Jersey 08840
Founded in 1935 in Springfield, Massachusetts, Friendly’s began as a small shop known for its homemade ice cream. Over the years, it expanded into a full-service restaurant and introduced its iconic burgers.
Friendly’s ice cream became so popular that in 1987, the brand began selling its products in supermarkets nationwide, allowing people without a Friendly’s location nearby to enjoy it.
Although most of its restaurant locations have now closed, the Friendly’s brand continues to live on through its ice cream, which remains available in grocery stores like Walmart (WMT) and Stop & Shop (ADRNY).
However, those sales no longer directly benefit the restaurant chain, as Dairy Farmers of America now owns the ice cream rights.
Friendly’s tumultuous business history
Friendly’s Restaurants filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2011 and was later acquired by Dean Foods. After an unsuccessful restructuring, it filed for bankruptcy again in 2020 and was acquired the following year by Brix Holdings, the parent company of Red Mango Yogurt Café, Souper Salad, Humble Donut Co., and Pizza Jukebox, all of which have also struggled with closures or bankruptcy.
At the time of the Brix Holdings acquisition, Friendly’s had 103 locations, down from its peak of 850 restaurants nationwide. The company cited the Covid pandemic as a major factor in its second bankruptcy, with temporary shutdowns and capacity limits leading to sharp revenue declines.
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In 2024, Friendly’s CEO Sherif Mityas revealed plans for a comeback, with a new strategy that included remodeling restaurants, a menu refresh, and a new marketing approach.
“Sometimes to grow you have to shrink,” said Mityas in a statement, unveiling plans to open three locations in the next three to five years across Texas and Orlando.
However, those plans never came to fruition, and closures continued, leaving Friendly’s with only four locations today.
A struggling restaurant industry
Friendly’s isn’t alone in its struggles; the restaurant industry has faced mounting challenges over the last few years.
Since the pandemic, many chains have faced rising food, labor, and rent costs, paired with reduced consumer spending and traffic, slimming the chances for survival.
A study by Dmitry Sedov, published in the National Center for Biotechnology Information, found that lockdowns, operating restrictions, and social distancing led to a steep decline in restaurant traffic in 2020, the pandemic’s first year. Those pressures have only intensified since.
In 2025 alone, major chains such as TGI Fridays, Applebee’s, and Golden Corral have enacted mass closures to cut costs and remain profitable.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, around 17% of new restaurants close within their first year. Long-term restaurant survival is even harder, with about 50% closing within five years and only 34.6% of restaurants surviving past the 10-year mark, according to Oysterlink.
Related: 100-year-old grocery chain closes all stores in several states
