Milford Friendly's Closes Abruptly, 'Ceasing Operations' Sunday

MILFORD, MA—Milford Friendly's employees and its customers found out on Sunday that its store would close at the end of that business day.

With rumors circulating on community boards about the closing, a spokesperson confirmed to Patch that the restaurant had indeed closed.

The statement from the company said only, "On Sunday, May 6, 2018, FIC Restaurants, Inc., closed its Friendly’s location at 17 Medway Road in Milford, Massachusetts. The restaurant will cease operations, effective immediately. Friendly’s in Milford values its guests and thanks them for their patronage. We encourage our guests from Milford to visit our next closest store at 27 Temple Street in Framingham, Massachusetts."

Tay Smith worked at Friendly's as a fountain worker, and told Patch that the restaurant did indeed close around 6 p.m. on Sunday. She learned her store was closing on Facebook shortly before the manager pulled the staff in to confirm the news.

"The district manager had a meeting with the managers at 5 p.m. and came and told them that the lease is up this week and we aren’t making enough money to continue so they’re shutting us down," said Smith. "They locked the doors and once the last customers left they cleaned out the place. I’ve been working there for just a few months now and loved it so much."

Smith said they offered the workers transfers, but that the closest restaurant is in Framingham.

"For the kids in high school and some of the workers who live in Milford the drive isn’t worth it," said Smith. "So they’re giving us a week's pay for the inconvenience. Applebee’s is offering us all jobs if we need one. The staff was extremely shocked because many of us did not know that Friendly's was struggling. But we are all hopefully going to be OK and find jobs as soon as possible. I’m not really worried about me so much as I am about the workers who have families and this is their only income."

In July of last year, the nearby Sudbury Friendly's shuttered in similar, abrupt fashion. Employees there received a call from headquarters at 5 p.m. on a Sunday that their location would close permanently, at 6 p.m. Approximately 18 employees at the Sudbury location were transferred to the Milford Friendly's.

According to the sitemap on the Friendly's site (which still lists Milford, MA), there are now 51 restaurants located in Massachusetts with the closing of Milford.