With 19 Remaining New York Locations, Can This Once Booming Restaurant Chain Make a Comeback?

A place known for its funny sundaes, delicious wings, and huge portions may be entering its sunset years.

With inflation refusing to cool down, along with Americans expressing more uncertainty about their financial futures, it's no wonder why some restaurants are having trouble staying afloat.

Just recently, Denny's pulled the plug on 2 Central New York locations while Mexican chain On the Border shuttering 2 locations on Long Island.

Now, another mega restaurant chain that once had nearly 1,000 locations in the United States is slowly vanishing - one state at a time.

Once known for serving up big portions of comfort food, Friendly's is down to just 19 restaurants in New York State.

It is also fighting for survival and is turning to closing locations left and right to stay afloat. The once popular chain has completely pulled out of several states including Rhode Island, Vermont, and Virginia.

The chain is now mostly clustered in the tri-state area, but Central New Yorkers don't have many options. The location in New Hartford is hanging on, as are the establishments in Liverpool, Cortland, and Johnstown.

The famed restaurant was sold in 2021 to Amici Partners Group, LLC, with the intent of triggering a massive comeback.

Sherif Mityas, CEO of Friendly’s Restaurants, said the closures are deliberate and that, "Sometimes to grow you have to shrink."

Friendly's Decades-Long Struggle

From its height to about 850 restaurants nationwide to now 104 locations on the East Coast, Friendly's has long battled against the grim reaper of good grub.

The chain first declared bankruptcy in 2011 and was sold to Dean Foods, which specializes in producing milk.

The acquisition didn't solve its woes and the chain re-filed for bankruptcy in 2020, where it exchanged hands to Brix Holdings, which is based in Texas and owns chains like Pizza Jukebox and Red Mango Yogurt Cafe.

Brix is now working to revive and revitalize the brand.

The Future of Friendly's

While it's unclear if any of Central New York's surviving locations will live through the comeback phase, Mityas said the chain is about to undergo some serious revival work.

The plan is 3-pronged, he said, starting with intense renovations to bring the chain out of the 90s and into present times. This would include new murals, booths, lighting, and more.

Mityas also said Friendly's is going to revamp its menu to appeal to a wider audience, like putting cheesekirt burgers and other tasty morsels on its offerings.

Lastly, the chain plans to roll out an aggressive marketing approach that focuses on having fun at Friendly's. The proposed slogan, he says, is "Come for celebration, spreading the joy of ice cream."

What do you think? Can Friendly's outlast other struggling restaurant chains?

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