North Adams Friendly's to Close on Sunday
 Friendly's on State Road will scoop its final ice cream today. |
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Friendly's Restaurant on State Road will close for the final time on Sunday night.
Regan Communications, the company's spokesman, confirmed Sunday afternoon that the restaurant would close "in anticipation of the expiration of its lease."
The closure was described as "effective immediately" but customers were still being served.
Rumors have been rampant that the landmark restaurant would close either Sunday or Monday.
A day manager who answered the phone on Sunday morning said she had heard the rumors.
"I don't know how to respond," she said. "It's just a rumor."
However, the property's owner, O Ice LLC, Friendly's realty arm, had contacted police several days ago to tell them the building would be vacant.
"They've been there a very long time," said Mayor Richard Alcombright, who added he had not been informed of the closing by Friendly's Corp. "It's a shame. These chains, they look at profit margins."
The closure comes at the end of a couple bad weeks for smaller city businesses. Luma's Muffin & Mug closed last month; I Got Goodies and Once Around the Block also announced their closures, citing rent prices and space size. Both the latter plan to continue their operations from home and online.
The Wilbraham ice cream company has struggled in recent years. A restructuring from the company's 2011 bankruptcy resulted in the closure of more than 100 stores over the next several years, including one in Great Barrington.
According to Nation's Restaurant News, the chain was down $150 million in revenue from 2011 to the end of 2014.
Former employees Carol and Joe Burdick had stopped by the restaurant on Sunday after hearing about the closing, for one last ice cream and to visit with old friends.
"This place has been here for 51 years," Carol Burdick said.
Carol had worked there 13 years and Joe for 11; Carol's two sisters, their daughter and a niece had also worked there.
"This where we all started," their daughter, Melissa Burdick, said. "Friendly's is kind of a family thing."
Burdick had transferred to Worcester and was there when two of those Friendly's closed during the bankruptcies. She no longer works for the company.
"I kind of feel what all those employees are going through," she said.
Her parents were disappointed in the direction the restaurant chain had taken in recent years in both management and menus.
Carol left after feeling pushed out as management made greater demands on longer-tenured, higher-paid employees. Her husband said the corporation's treatment of two previous managers had made him lose faith with the chain.
"We basically boycotted this place until today," he said. "For me, Friendly's is hometown, but since a few years ago, it doesn't feel like that."
He felt optimistic that someone will take advantage of the opening for a new restaurant, particularly one that would serve breakfast.
"There's room for another restaurant on this end of town," Burdick said.
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