A casual-dining chain known for its ice-cream desserts, burgers and family atmosphere that once operated roughly 850 restaurants has dwindled to fewer than 100 locations in 11 states.Friendly's was founded as the "Friendly" ice-cream shop in Springfield, Massachusetts, by "spunky" brothers Prestley and Curtis Blake in 1935 — at the height of the Great Depression, according to the company's website.The two young entrepreneurs — Prestley was 20 years old and Curtis was just 18 — sold double-dip cones for 5 cents.FUDDRUCKERS BECAME THE 'BLOCKBUSTER' OF BURGERS, AND NOW IT'S NEARLY GONEIn 1940, they expanded with a second location and began offering food, with hamburgers among the first additions to the menu.By 1951, there were 10 Friendly restaurants operating in Massachusetts and Connecticut, and by 1974, that number had grown to 500 restaurants across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic.Friendly's became known for its ice-cream desserts, burgers and family-friendly atmosphere as it expanded throughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic.(John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)Friendly's marked its 90th year in business in 2025.Along the way, the company introduced new food and dessert items to its menu, began distributing its ice cream in supermarkets, set a Guinness World Record for the largest sundae in 1980 and added the apostrophe and "s" to its name in 1989.CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE NEWSFriendly's also changed hands throughout the decades and filed for bankruptcy twice.Hershey's acquired Friendly's from the Blakes in 1979 and sold the chain nine years later to Tennessee Restaurant Company.
By the mid-1990s, Friendly's had grown to about 850 restaurants.Friendly’s celebrated its 90th anniversary in 2025, decades after the brand began as a neighborhood ice-cream shop.(John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)Friendly's first filed for bankruptcy in 2011 and again in November 2020."Over the last two years, Friendly's has made important strides t...