FARMINGTON — The Friendly’s restaurant in the town’s Unionville section has closed, the most recent of 16 other closures for the chain in Connecticut.
The restaurant at 1835 Farmington Ave. shut down on Nov. 26, according to a Friendly’s representative. Employees were notified on Nov. 28 and all but three have been placed at other Friendly’s restaurants, he said.
The restaurant’s closing was “in anticipation of the expiration of its lease,” according to a statement.
“It’s been a staple in the community and that’s why so many people were disappointed,” said Rose Ponte, the town’s economic development director. “When a landmark like that closes, you are bound to relive all those memories.”
She said she was unsure why the restaurant closed, but said it may be related to the chain’s emergence from bankruptcy in 2011. She said Friendly’s closed all of its Ohio locations last week and in September, closed multiple Westchester County locations.
Urstadt Biddle Properties Inc. owns the property at 1835 Farmington Ave., Ponte said, and the town is working with the group to find a new tenant. Ponte said there have been some interested parties, such as Rivers Edge Bistro.
James Aries, senior vice president at Urstadt Biddle Properties Inc., said the company acquired the Unionville Friendly’s along with a group of other Friendly’s locations.
“We are sorry to see Friendly’s go and we grew up going to Friendly’s for ice cream,” he said, “but we felt that in the event they were to close, we would be left with very good real estate.”
Friendly Ice Cream Corp., known for its ice cream treats and specialty sundaes, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in October 2011. The chain closed 63 underperforming stores, including seven Connecticut locations: West Hartford, Manchester, Torrington, Meriden, Storrs, Guilford and Waterbury.
Three months later, the business was sold to Friendly’s Ice Cream LLC and emerged from bankruptcy. The company has closed nine Connecticut restaurants inBranford, Clinton, Glastonbury, Manchester, Middletown, Norwich, Waterbury, Wallingford and a North Haven store.
Friendly’s locations can still be found in Plainville, Hartford, Avon, Newington and Bristol, among others.
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