The Only US States With Surviving Friendly's Restaurant Locations

• Connecticut (10 locations)
• Delaware (3)
• Florida (2)
• Massachusetts (22)
• Maryland (4)
• Maine (1)
• New Hampshire (2)
• New Jersey (12)
• New York (17)
• Pennsylvania (12)
• South Carolina (2)

What happened to Friendly's?

Since 1996, Friendly's has closed almost 90% of its locations and filed for bankruptcy twice. But Americans still scream for ice cream, and despite the fact we're dining out less in general, we still eat out an average of six meals a week. So, why did Friendly's falter? For one thing, it was built on nostalgia and old-timey flair, and ironically this may have helped lead to its downfall. Friendly's has been around for 91 years now, and naturally its restaurants had begun to look a little time-worn and archaic. In addition to the decor, the menu wasn't keeping up with current eating trends. Sure, a burger and other classic diner fare rarely go out of style, but Friendly's has admitted it should have paid closer attention to changing food fashions by incorporating plant-based, international, and healthy food options. Of course, Covid didn't help either (its second bankruptcy filing happened in November 2020).

In recent years, Friendly's has been working on giving its remaining restaurants a modern makeover. In addition to remodeling the restaurants themselves and changing up the menu while sticking to what it does best, Friendly's is also adapting its marketing approach with a focus on social media, and is trying to cater to all ages. The hope is to gain appeal with younger generations who are new to Friendly's as well as older folks who still fondly remember the place from back when they were considered the younger generation. With these improvements in the works, many fans are holding out hope that Friendly's can remain a place to eat, drink, and be dairy for a long time to come.