Friendly's opens its second Orlando location this week; is the beloved restaurant making a comeback?
MOORESTOWN, NEW JERSEY, UNITED STATES - 2012/04/04: Friendlys restaurant. (Photo by John Greim/LightRocket via Getty Images)
ORLANDO, Fla. - Friendly's, a longtime American restaurant staple in the U.S., is opening a second Orlando location this week.
The iconic family restaurant and ice cream shop that's been around for over 80 years is opening shop at 8600 Vineland Avenue.
The new location is owned by former Friendly's waiter Amol Kohli who owns more than 30 Friendly's locations across the eastern U.S. This new addition will add an "updated spin" on the Friendly's experience" with "improved style and design concepts."
The opening also marks Friendly's third location in Florida as the other two are located in Melbourne and International Drive in Orlando.
Is Friendly's making a comeback?
What was once a bustling breakfast, lunch, and dinner restaurant staple in the American dining scene has slowly dwindled down after the company shut down 23 locations between 2022 and 2022 in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Delaware.
The beloved neighborhood staple went from having 424 locations to just 138 and now 104.
Friendly's declared bankruptcy beginning in 2011 and was acquired by Dean Foods, a large milk producer, according to Forbes. The company filed for bankruptcy once again in 2020 before being acquired by Brix Holdings in January 2021.
Brix, a Texas-based restaurant franchiser owns Red Mango Yogurt Cafe, Souper Salad, Humble Donut Co, and Pizza Jukebox.
Sherif Mityas, CEO of Friendly’s Restaurants, told Forbes he believes in the "core of the restaurant brand with its 89-year history."
The restaurant is still serving up some classics - while making some new additions to the menu such as the Doritos Cool Ranch ChoppedCheese Burger.
The Vineland location held its soft opening on Thursday, but a company rep said customers will be able to enjoy the full grand opening of the location this summer.