Another Friendly’s Restaurant Has Closed IN MA

Massachusetts residents take note; Another Friendly's restaurant has shut its doors for good. The chain's location at East Main Street in Webster, just north of the Connecticut border has closed permanently on Monday evening at 9:30 p.m. The closest locations in the central part of the Bay State are in Auburn, Gardner, Marlborough and Leominster which are STILL miles away from Webster.

No further details were available on the restaurant's abrupt closure which now results in a total of 24 locations still open throughout Massachusetts, 3 of them are south of the border and two still stand in New Hampshire. Diners are perplexed as to why these traditional based eateries are slowly but surely disappearing in our vicinity, present company included.

A bit of history regarding one of our favorite dining establishments; Friendly's was founded in 1935. Their main headquarters STILL stand in Wilbraham, Massachusetts. The first restaurant opened in Springfield, and the second one greeted customers five years later in neighboring West Springfield. BOTH locations are STILL standing to this day due to their historical tradition.

By 1951, there were 10 Friendly's operating in Western Massachusetts and Connecticut. S. Prestley Blake, who co-founded Friendly's with his brother and turned it into a national chain, passed away in 2021 at the age of 106.

Berkshire residents can STILL visit the county's sole location at Dalton Avenue parallel to The Allendale Shopping Center in Pittsfield. Personally, I lament on the closing in "Lovely Lee" on route 20, which was half the driving distance from Pittsfield. I'm craving a Fribble as we speak! Unfortunately, the sole location in Bennington, Vermont has been shut down for years as local residents and visitors STILL yearn for some unique dining, New England style!

It seems like you have to incorporate your next visit to Friendly's while on a state wide road trip. Other locations that are within driving distance from our area include restaurants in Westfield, Wilbraham, Florence Greenfield, Holyoke, Chicopee, Hadley and Agawam. You'll also find a trio of locations in the eastern part of the Bay State, so if you're heading to Boston, stop by at either Haverhill or Attleboro to satisfy your craving for great food and AWESOME desserts.

If your travels take you to New Hampshire, There are a pair of eateries at the state capital, Concord and in Merrimack, located just north of the Massachusetts border. In Connecticut, the closest Friendly's is just off route 202 on West Main Street in Avon with another one situated just off I-91 in Enfield and another is situated in Vernon as you can stop in for dinner before attending a U-Conn basketball or football game.

BOTTOM LINE: How many more of these eateries will be with us in the near future? As Asia said: "Only Time Will Tell" In the meantime: Buon Appetit!

(Some information obtained in this article courtesy of www.cbsneswboston.com, WBZ-TV and www.telegram.com)

(Photo images courtesy of www.wikipedia.com)