Final days as iconic ice cream restaurant set to shutter location for good after 55 closures adding to slow demise

A LEGENDARY ice cream franchise has announced it will be closing another location after a series of closures.

Friendly’s is closing its final location in Binghamton, New York.

2

2

The company announced that the last day of service would be Sunday, September 24th.

Customers were shocked by the restaurant’s announcement and shared their thoughts on the company’s review page.

“It’s a shame this site is closing, the staff is great and the food is always what you expect from a Friendly’s,” one customer wrote.

“I love eating at JC Friendly’s and was extremely sad to learn today that they are permanently closing their doors next week,” wrote another customer.

Employees told ABC affiliate WIVT-TV that they learned of the closure from village officials and not at the company’s headquarters.

The company has struggled in recent years and has had to close at least 55 restaurants since 2019.

The family-friendly restaurant originally opened in 1935 and had 850 locations in 15 states at its peak, according to Business Insider.

According to the publication, as of November 2020, only 138 restaurants remained open.

Friendly’s has faced many financial difficulties since its founding and has filed for bankruptcy several times.

According to CNBC, the restaurant first cited the impact of the 2008 recession as a reason for the filing in 2011.

Their most recent Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing came in 2021 when FIC Restaurants CEO George Michel stated that the impact of the pandemic was too great for the company.

“Unfortunately, like many restaurant businesses, our progress was suddenly interrupted by the catastrophic impact of COVID-19, resulting in a decline in sales as restaurant operations were suspended for months and reopened at limited capacity,” Michel said.