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No happy ending for 30 Mass. Friendly's
By adamg on Wed, 10/05/2011 - 8:37am
Friendly's makes it official, files for bankruptcy again, shuts 30 Massachusetts restaurants, including the one in Dedham, which would make me sad if only we hadn't stopped going there because the service consistently sucked.
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Watertown was spared!
Watertown was spared!
Waltham/Lexington, too. Folks
Waltham/Lexington, too. Folks in this area just loves us some Friendly's.
Funny I've been to both of those (Dedham and Watertown)
Within the last 2 years and the Watertown one is just as horrible. But the Dedham one is dirty, horrible, dirty, and horrible. I went in there for an icecream last summer and could not believe how long people had to wait for everything.
But about 2 years ago I went to the Watertown one for dinner and I couldn't believe how long we had to wait. I've had about 2 experiences in my life like that one where you basically sit and wait for an hour and the tables around you are all kind of laughing at how horrible the service is? Also a situation where people come in about 40 minutes after you and get their food before you do. Absoutly horrible.
Had to happen eventually...
Friendly's was a fun place to go 20 years ago. Nowadays it takes them 35 minutes to make a grilled cheese sandwich, the floors and seats are covered in grease, and the servers are visibly weary and apathetic from dealing with screaming kids and self-important parents all day.
Friendly's, you will be missed, but it's time to go.
"Mine" is safe
Was worried when I saw Quincy on the list, but it turned out to be South Quincy, not Wollaston, which is where I normally go. It's always really busy, too. Hope they can restructure successfully.
Needham Friendly's
I see that the Friendly's across the street from BID-Needham was also closed. I've got to think that someone will move into that location quickly -- too many hospital employees and visitors must want a quick (and better quality) bite to eat.
Wait, people went to Friendly's for food ?
Oh wait, no, they didn't go there for food, hence the problem.
Could it survive as just a chain of ice cream stands? As bad as the food side of the business was, I always liked the ice cream side of it.
UnFriendly's
I think the problem with the restaurant (aside from the fact that it always looked like 1975 in there) was that the waitstaff was always full of the least friendly people you would ever want to meet.
It's as if they went out in search for the 10 most dour, unlikable folks, put name tags on them and gave them a somehow always dirty Friendly's polo shirt.
Welcome to Friendly's - we're jerks.
Friendly's treated their
Friendly's treated their waitstaff like garbage, so it's not surprising. Spend all day dealing with d-bags, then get screwed out of half your tips, you're going to be surly.
cant bevieve!
I still cant believe they cosed the one in Westie. that placed rocked!
Not very friendly of them
The one in Westie was actually quite nice, and well attended. When it closed, I figured the whole company must have gone out of business.
Friendly's had a street team at Harvard Square Oktoberfest
this past Sunday. They were dressed in bright red, actively handing out coupons for a free ice cream cone, and advertising a new product called "High 5" (I think it's a sundae?).
However, with the Charlestown location now closed, the only place anywhere near Cambridge is on Arsenal Street in Watertown. [ETA 10/9: especially now that Coolidge Corner has also closed] Since Friendly's lacks an actual presence anywhere in Cambridge or Boston, I suspect many of these coupons will end up in recycling bins instead of being redeemed.
Long ago, the East Cambridge Savings Bank at Highland Ave. and Cedar Street in Somerville was a Friendly's. It is still recognizable as what it used to be.
Oh, you mean the ice cream place!
Based on the headline, I thought it was a story about a massage parlor...
Check out the comments on Friendly's High 5 Facebook page!
Here. The page asked the question "Who’s the most interesting person you’ve given a High 5 to?"
Some answers:
"how about we high five all the newly laid off workers from Friendly's"
"My coworkers after you fired us. Ever give crying, desperate people high 5's? Really loses its magic"
"Last night. The only notice we received was a flier that said 'don't worry, no ones loosing their jobs, it's business as usual.' Guess I shouldn't be so trusting."
"leave it to friendlys to waste2.9 billion dollars and close 65 stores. leaving myself and hundreds of other good people who needed that job unemployed, and could we even get a notice, of course not, why would they give their employees a heads up that they would be losing their jobs"
Was the Friendly's Express at Coolidge Corner spared?
I've been out of the country for most of the year, so haven't been by there in some time. I found it well run & a good place to grab a quick bite before a movie.
Yes
It's not on the list.
Should still be there
It's listed at Friendly's online store locator (while Charlestown has already been removed), and it's not on the list of stores that closed this week.
that one opened up in 2003
that one opened up in 2003
that one opened up in 2003
that one opened up in 2003
Coolidge Corner Friendly's Express now closed as well
Even though it wasn't on the original list of 63 doomed stores, it too has closed, according to Boston.com.
I'm puzzled by this decision, since if the chain is going to survive at all, it's going to need more places like this one.
Ron
That place was actually doing pretty well. The guy that owns that building charges way too much for rent though. From what I heard Friendlies basically said they can do better if they move that express store to another location.
Friendly's Coolidge Corner
I wish them luck with that. It's hard to beat being across the street from a busy movie theatre and next to a popular bookstore.
Hanover
The one in the Hanover Mall is the one that closed (not surprised, the whole thing needs to die already). The press release just mentions "Hanover." The flagship (new concept)/training store on Washington St. is still open. Weymouth was also spared. All of the locations on the South Coast are safe for now too, including Fairhaven, another flagship store.
I'm personally shocked that they closed the one on Warwick Ave in Warwick. That was one of their highest volume stores in the company.