Friendly's Files for Bankruptcy Protection; Yorktown Restaurant Remains Open

The Friendly's restaurant chain announced today it has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and has already closed 63 of its stores.

The company says 424 Friendly's restaurants will be open for business as usual during its financial restructuring and there is expected to be no impact to manufacturing and distribution operations.

A manager at the Yorktown location said he had not heard of the announcement, but in Yorktown remains open and business continues to be "good."

Friendly Ice Cream Corp., based in Wilbraham, Mass., said it has secured $70 million in financing. The 76-year-old company, known for its ice cream and hamburgers, said the challenges of the current economic downturn, significantly increased costs, particularly in commodities such as cream, and high rents drove it to file for bankruptcy protection.

Nearby Friendly's locations include Mt. Kisco and Carmel, which remain open. 

For a list of the closed locations (including six in New York State), click here.