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UPDATED TUESDAY, APRIL 9
JAMESTOWN – The Friendly’s restaurant chain has all but vanished from Western New York, following a wave of abrupt closings.
The Massachusetts-based chain shut four restaurants in Erie and Chautauqua County – including the one in Jamestown. They were among 23 corporate-owned locations Friendly’s closed in the Northeast and New England.
Employees reportedly received personal notification and the company is working to support them with opportunities at other locations or severance payments and other assistance.
Although the restaurant in Jamestown closed, the one in Olean in nearby Cattaraugus County appears to remain open.
The Restaurant chain has faced its share of challenges over the past couple of decades.
In 2000 it closed 80 “under-performing” restaurants. Since 2007 Friendly’s chain has been owned by Sun Capital Partners, a Florida-based private equity firm. The chain filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2011 and emerged in early 2012.
George Michel, the CEO of Friendly’s, said in a media release the latest closings reflect the company’s push to respond to “shifting demographics and consumer preferences, increased competition, and rising costs.”
Following the latest closings, Friendly’s will have 77 corporate-owned restaurants and 97 franchisee-owned restaurants.
ORIGINAL POST
WRFA has learned the Friendly’s restaurants in Jamestown has closed.
Restaurants in Hamburg, Amherst, Lancaster, Elmira, and Syracuse have also closed.
Like other locations in the region, the restaurant was abruptly closed with no forewarning and no statement from the owner of the local franchise.
In the Buffalo area, the only thing that involved a statement regarding the closings was a note posted on the entrance of one of the restaurants that that says, “We apologize for disappointing you on this visit, but this location is now closed for business.”
Friendly’s corporate office, in a statement to a Buffalo TV Station, apologizes for having no other restaurants in the area but encourages patrons to visit other locations when traveling.
Nooooo,this is the best! I always loved their food,and ice cream. It’s going to be sad!
SAD!!!
😲😢😭
The one in Jamestown was aweful. Slow service time, tho it wasnt the waitresses fault, bad food (hair in food, rotton blueberries in parfaits). I stopped going a couple years ago.