Friendly's

[Bdubs]

The former Friendly's on W. Main St in Norwich Ct is being converted into a Popeye's Chicken. It has sat empty since their bankruptcy a few years ago. Friendly's owned this building and Simon Konover Properties took over after their closure.
There is still a Friendly's on the other side of town, which still does quite well.

[JimSawhill]

The former Friendly's on W. Main St in Norwich Ct is being converted into a Popeye's Chicken. It has sat empty since their bankruptcy a few years ago. Friendly's owned this building and Simon Konover Properties took over after their closure.
There is still a Friendly's on the other side of town, which still does quite well.

Popeye's is good....rather have Friendly's.

[Chuck E. Cheese]

I Can really mostly tell when a store used to be a Friendly's.

I Like the new remodel at Friendly's but I Think it could have been integrated somewhat with the older one..

[JimSawhill]

I was google earth Silver Lane, East Hartford and Google showed  the old Friendly's that closed in 2000 being torn down... I wonder what will be there...

[Bdubs]

It's still just an empty lot. I'm waiting for the former Friendly's in Clinton to go the same way as East Hartford. It's become an eyesore.

[JimSawhill]

It's still just an empty lot. I'm waiting for the former Friendly's in Clinton to go the same way as East Hartford. It's become an eyesore.

East Hartford needs to tear down the whole plaza (Silver Lane Plaza) across the street... It looks empty. It was a nice plaza in the 60s when I went to either the Woolworth snack bar or JM Field's snack bar after I get my allowance. I wish Target would come in.

[Bdubs]

Yeah Jim, that area is an eyesore. I'd say the biggest problem is their close proximity to Manchester and the recent development of South Windsor. Hard to lure in a retailer when it seems just about every retail store imaginable is barely 10 mins down the road.

[JimSawhill]

Yeah Jim, that area is an eyesore. I'd say the biggest problem is their close proximity to Manchester and the recent development of South Windsor. Hard to lure in a retailer when it seems just about every retail store imaginable is barely 10 mins down the road.

I believe since the outlet mall is being built and Cabala's open, I believe that the town will decide to tear the shopping center and build a town green - like they did with the old Grand Union Shopping Plaza/ADP on Main Street in the 80s. The old Showcase Cinemas should be a destination shopping place.  Like an Ikea...

[retailisking]

For better or worse, what remains of the restaurants are on their own now
http://www.masslive.com/business-news/index.ssf/2016/05/friendlys_sale_of_ice_cream_plant_puts_f.html

[Pikapower]

^Does this mean that Friendly's would no longer be selling the pre-packaged ice cream in the restaurants?

[retailisking]

^Does this mean that Friendly's would no longer be selling the pre-packaged ice cream in the restaurants?

Good question! The sale includes the rights to the Friendly's trademark, which the restaurants will use under license from Dean Foods. The packaged ice cream is far less profitable for the restaurants than the hand-scopped ice cream, so I wouldn't be surprised if it went away. And besides, the Friendly's restaurants no longer have a vested interest in driving ice cream sales across all channels.

[Bdubs]

^Does this mean that Friendly's would no longer be selling the pre-packaged ice cream in the restaurants?

Good question! The sale includes the rights to the Friendly's trademark, which the restaurants will use under license from Dean Foods. The packaged ice cream is far less profitable for the restaurants than the hand-scopped ice cream, so I wouldn't be surprised if it went away. And besides, the Friendly's restaurants no longer have a vested interest in driving ice cream sales across all channels.

They are still sharing the same plant in Ma. It's possible things won't change unless Dean Foods decides to take the ice cream to their home turf. Which is a possibility in the future.

[Pikapower]

If Dean Foods takes the ice cream making part to their home turf would this mean that Friendly's (the restaurant) would no longer have ice cream on the menu?

[retailisking]

If Dean Foods takes the ice cream making part to their home turf would this mean that Friendly's (the restaurant) would no longer have ice cream on the menu?

Friendly's restaurants without ice cream have no reason to exist. Heck, the restaurants barely have a reason to exist WITH ice cream!

[Chuck E. Cheese]

Right now they are only surviving off nostalgia I think..They have "Ziosk" tablets with games to play for $1.99. They want money, lol

[JimSawhill]

For better or worse, what remains of the restaurants are on their own now
http://www.masslive.com/business-news/index.ssf/2016/05/friendlys_sale_of_ice_cream_plant_puts_f.html

I guess I wont buy Friendlys ice cream...Dean Dairy is junk...

[giantsfan2016]

The building housing Friendly's in Southington, CT is for sale. It's $2,263,968 and will be leased back to Friendly's.

It was just sold. It went for only $1,146,724 according to a report on the Record Journal's website.

The building housing the Southington Friendly's is for sale again. This time they're asking $2.8 Million.

http://www.loopnet.com/Listing/20262715/408-Queen-Street-Southington-CT/

[retailisking]

For better or worse, what remains of the restaurants are on their own now
http://www.masslive.com/business-news/index.ssf/2016/05/friendlys_sale_of_ice_cream_plant_puts_f.html

I guess I wont buy Friendlys ice cream...Dean Dairy is junk...

I haven't noticed any slippage in quality since the Dean takeover.

[giantsfan2016]

Luiza's Diner which for the past 14 years has operated in a long-closed former Friendly's on the corner of Enterprise Drive and Route 229 (near Lake Compounce Amusement Park and ESPN) in Bristol, Connecticut is moving into the former Friendly's in Unionville, Connecticut.

http://www.bristolpress.com/BP-Bristol+News/301081/luizas-diner-moving-to-unionville

[JJBers]

Here is mine in Willimantic. They had to partially renovate the building after Hurricane Sandy:

Willimantic, Connecticut by JJBers, on Flickr

[JimSawhill]

Luiza's Diner which for the past 14 years has operated in a long-closed former Friendly's on the corner of Enterprise Drive and Route 229 (near Lake Compounce Amusement Park and ESPN) in Bristol, Connecticut is moving into the former Friendly's in Unionville, Connecticut.

http://www.bristolpress.com/BP-Bristol+News/301081/luizas-diner-moving-to-unionville

I wonder who'll move into their old location?

[retailisking]

23 Friendly's restaurants abruptly close, and more will shutter as leases expire. I'd be worried if I were a landlord or employee of a leased location.
https://www.masslive.com/news/2019/04/friendlys-closes-restaurants-in-framingham-northeast-states.html

[Pikapower]

^Looks like Friendly's pulled out of New York state.  :'(

[retailisking]

^Looks like Friendly's pulled out of New York state.  :'(

That appears to be where things are headed. I have to wonder about the viability of the chain as a whole at this point.

[BillyGr]

^Looks like Friendly's pulled out of New York state.  :'(

That appears to be where things are headed. I have to wonder about the viability of the chain as a whole at this point.

At least with this batch, it looks to be mostly the Western sections of the state.  Oneonta is the only one that is east of a line drawn from Binghamton to Syracuse.

Not that they haven't closed any further east in the past, but not in this batch (and at least some of the ones left there are ones known to be high performing locations, even one that was rebuilt after a fire a number of years ago).

[Zayre88]

Sad. Augusta, Maine is in that list. A former Howard Johnson's location.

[giantsfan2016]

In Connecticut Waterbury, Southbury, and Danbury are the locations closing. At one time Waterbury had 3 locations - in the KMART Plaza on Wolcott Street, on Chase Avenue, and on Reidville Drive. The Reidville Drive location was the last location in Waterbury.

[TheFugitive]

^Looks like Friendly's pulled out of New York state.  :'(

Given the tax and regulatory environment in New York State,
they won't be the last company to do so.

[Pikapower]

Will they still sell Friendly's ice cream in stores in areas where Friendly's has left?

[retailisking]

Will they still sell Friendly's ice cream in stores in areas where Friendly's has left?

Friendly's sold the retail ice cream operation to Dean Foods in 2016 (Dean also supplies ice cream to the restaurants.)