Friendly's, Long Gone from Cheshire, will Close Seven Nearby Locales

Cheshire's Friendly's restaurant on South Main Street was demolished years ago to make way for a franchise.

Now comes an announcement that the family restaurant chain will shutter locations in Meriden and Waterbury and about 60 other locations. However, the company didn't list the Wallingford location on North Colony Road or the Southington spot at 408 Queen Street as being slated for closure.

Friendly Ice Cream Corporation announced Wednesday that it is filing for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection. It will close 63 underperforming stores, including seven in Connecticut. The Meriden  on East Main Street is among them.

The remaining 424 Friendly's restaurants will stay open for business during the financial restructuring. There is expected to be no impact to manufacturing and distribution operations, according to a company press release.

Friendly's has secured approximately $70 million in financing, which will allow the company to meet its ongoing obligations during the restructuring and to continue paying employee salaries and benefits. Gift cards will continue to be honored.

The decision to file for bankruptcy was driven largely by the challenges of the current economic downturn and significantly increased costs, particularly in commodities such as cream, according to the release.

The following Connecticut stores will close:        

Boston Post Road, Guilford
Buckland Mall, Manchester
East Main Street, Meriden
Storrs Road/University Plaza Storrs
East Main Street, Torrington
Waterbury Shopping Plaza, Waterbury
South Main Street, West Hartford