Business & Tech

Washington Street Friendly's Closes Abruptly, Citing Chapter 11

The Middletown store is one of nine in the state that was shut down on Sunday.

The Friendly's Restaurant chain shut down nine additional stores on Sunday, including the one on Washington Street in Middletown, which is corporately owned and opened in July 1988.

The move follows the closure a few months ago of seven other Connecticut Friendly's, including one in Meriden.

"Any time a business closes we feel bad about it," Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce President Larry McHugh said Monday. "You hate to see a business like that, a longtime staple of Middletown, run into these financial difficulties."

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A sign on the store refers customers to the Cromwell store and thanks them for patronage, adding, "this restaurant has permanently closed." A Friendly's tractor-trailer truck was seen backing up to the rear of the building.

Staff at the Middletown store were unable to comment Monday. The Cromwell restaurant at 48 Berlin Road is open and staff said they have no intention of closing.

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McHugh recalls Friendly's was originally located across the street, where Citizens Bank is now. "I hope we will be able to fill the spot with another restaurant but that still does not take away the feeling. I feel bad for the employees," McHugh said.

Friendly's was formerly a member of the Chamber, McHugh said, but hasn't been for the past three or four years.

Lynn Bolton, public relations coordinator for Friendly Ice Cream Corporation, based in Wilbraham, Mass., issued the following statement:

"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. 

"While we were able to successfully restructure lease agreements for a number of locations, unfortunately, we were unable to reach an acceptable agreement on others, including the Middletown, CT. Therefore, we have made the difficult decision to close these Friendly’s effective at the close of business on Sunday Jan. 8." 

It continues:

"We regret that this decision has become necessary, and we appreciate the hard work and dedication of the Friendly’s employees at these locations and intend to accommodate as many as possible at nearby operating restaurants, where available."

The Friendly's on Main Street in Glastonbury also is among the nine additional closures.

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