Falmouth Friendly's Survives Purge

FALMOUTH, MA — Friendly's is closing 23 of its restaurants across the Northeast – but its Falmouth location will not be one of them. The three doomed Bay State restaurants are in Framingham, Waltham and Holden, said Friendly's CEO George Mitchell in a letter to franchise owners.

"While this was a tough decision, we are confident it will best position the brand for a bright future," Mitchell wrote in the letter. "Especially difficult is the impact these closures will have on the locations' wonderful employees, who we are working to support with opportunities in other locations or severance payments and other assistance."

After the closures are done Friendly's will have 77 corporate-owned restaurants and 97 franchisee-owned restaurants, according to Mitchell's statement.

Friendly's now has 39 restaurants left in Massachusetts, according to its website. Customers at its Framingham location were met with a sign on the door Sunday that read, "We apologize for disappointing you on this visit, but this location is now closed for business."

The company said it is in the process of "placing as many team members as possible in other locations" and providing short term financial help. Employees were informed of the closures personally, according to a Friendly's spokesperson.

The national chain, which was started in Springfield during the Great Depression, previously filed for bankruptcy in 2011 and shuttered dozens of restaurants in Massachusetts.

Friendly's in Falmouth is located at 5 Davis Straits Rd. The chain's only other Cape Cod location is on Iyannough Road in Hyannis.