Washington Avenue Friendly's Closed for Good

As part of a series of closures across the country, the Friendly's Restaurant on Washington Avenue received news that it would be shut down permanently on Sunday evening. 

According to the New Haven Register, the folding of the franchise came as a surprise for many employees:

“This was my first job,” said an employee who asked that his name not be used. “I worked here since I was 16 and now I’m 19. I’m shocked.”

The Washington Avenue franchise is one of 63 restaurants to be shuttered across eleven states following Friendly's announcement that it would be restructuring its finances after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy this October. 

In a statement acquired by , whose Friendly's was also closed Sunday, company spokesperson Maura C. Tobias explained that a dispute over lease agreements contributed to the decision to shutter the restaurants:

"Since entering Chapter 11 in October 2011, the Company has sought to work with our landlords to restructure lease arrangements at locations where we believed rents did not reflect current market conditions and were significantly impacting the viability of underperforming restaurants...We regret that this decision has become necessary, and we appreciate the hard work and dedication of the Friendly’s employees and intend to accommodate as many as possible at nearby operating restaurants, where available."

The was not effected by the move, and remains open as of this writing. 

What are your thoughts on the restaurant's closure? Any fond memories of the Washington Avenue location?