Friendly's facts for kids
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Friendly's in Augusta, Maine, in June 2014 (closed in April 2019)
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| Subsidiary | |
| Industry | Restaurants Franchising |
| Founded | 1935 Springfield, Massachusetts |
| Founders |
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| Headquarters | Wilbraham, Massachusetts, U.S. |
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Number of locations
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105 |
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Key people
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George Michel (CEO) |
| Products | Sandwiches, burgers, salads, soups, breakfast foods, ice cream, hot dogs |
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Number of employees
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10,000 |
| Parent | Dairy Farmers of America (dairy products) Amici Partners Group (restaurants) |
Friendly's is a popular restaurant chain found on the East Coast of the United States. It started in 1935 in Springfield, Massachusetts, as a small shop selling ice cream cones. Two brothers, S. Prestley Blake and Curtis Blake, created it. Friendly's serves classic diner food and is famous for its 22 different ice cream flavors. Some restaurants even have a special window just for ice cream take-out, besides the regular dining area. You can find Friendly's restaurants in many states, including Massachusetts, Connecticut, Florida, New York, and Pennsylvania. Friendly's ice cream is also sold in some supermarkets.
Contents
The Story of Friendly's
How Friendly's Began
Friendly's was founded in 1935 by brothers Prestley and Curtis Blake. This was during the Great Depression, a time when many people struggled. The brothers opened a small ice cream shop called "Friendly." They sold double-dip ice cream cones for just a nickel each.
In 1940, they opened a second Friendly's in West Springfield. This new location offered more than just ice cream; it had an expanded food menu. The Blake brothers temporarily closed their business during World War II. They reopened it after the war ended.
Growing Across the East Coast
By 1951, there were 10 Friendly's restaurants in Connecticut and western Massachusetts. As the company grew, its main office moved from Springfield to Wilbraham in 1960. By 1974, the chain had grown to 500 restaurants. These were located in the Mid-Atlantic, Northeast, and Midwest regions of the U.S. That same year, Friendly's opened a food processing and distribution plant in Troy, Ohio.
In 1979, the Blake brothers retired. They sold Friendly's to Hershey Foods Corporation, known for its chocolates. In 1988, a person named Donald N. Smith bought Friendly's from Hershey. In 1989, the name officially became "Friendly's" with the apostrophe 's'.
Changes and New Ideas
In 1998, Friendly's started a program to allow more restaurants to be owned by franchisees. This means that instead of the company owning all the restaurants, other people could buy a license to open and run a Friendly's. By 2021, about 66% of Friendly's restaurants were owned by franchisees.
Friendly's also tried new ideas. In 2009, the first "Friendly's Express" opened in Mansfield, Massachusetts. These were smaller versions of the restaurant. In 2018, Friendly's opened a new "prototype" restaurant in Marlborough, Massachusetts. This location tested new features like delivery, catering, and online ordering.
Over the years, some Friendly's locations closed in different states. For example, all 14 Friendly's in Ohio closed in 2014. Many locations in upstate New York and some in New England closed in 2019. The last Friendly's in Rhode Island closed in 2019, and the last one in Virginia closed in late 2019.
The co-founders of Friendly's, Curtis Blake and S. Prestley Blake, both lived to be very old. Curtis Blake passed away in 2019 at 102, and S. Prestley Blake passed away in 2021 at 106.
Financial Challenges and New Ownership
Friendly's faced some tough times financially. In October 2011, the company filed for a type of bankruptcy protection. This meant they needed help to reorganize their business and pay off debts. They also closed 63 stores at that time.
In December 2011, Friendly's was able to stay in business. An affiliate of its owner, Sun Capital Partners Inc., bought the company for about $75 million. In January 2012, Friendly's announced it was coming out of bankruptcy, but it had to close 37 more locations.
In November 2019, the part of Friendly's that sold ice cream to grocery stores also filed for bankruptcy. This was because its parent company, Dean Foods, faced financial difficulties.
In November 2020, Friendly's filed for bankruptcy again. This time, it was largely due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. The company announced it would sell most of its assets to a new group called Amici Partners.
On January 19, 2021, Amici Partners Group, LLC, officially acquired Friendly's. This group is made up of experienced restaurant investors. They acquired 130 Friendly's restaurants, both company-owned and franchised, with plans to keep them all open.
Friendly's Slogans
Friendly's has used many different slogans over the years to advertise its restaurants:
- "You're in for a nice surprise" (1979–1982)
- "There's no place like home" (1985–1989)
- "Where ice cream makes the meal / I wanna go to Friendly's" (2008–2011)
- "Oh, that looks good!" (2010–2011)
- "High 5, it's Friendly's!" (2011–2012)
- "Oh yeah!" (2012–2013)
- "Where ice cream makes the meal" (current)
- "Creating memories since 1935" (2015)
- "Life with extra sprinkles" (current)
- "Deliciously fun" (current)
