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Friendly's Inviting Customers To Try Out New Menu, Renovated Restaurants

BOSTON (CBS) - Looking to secure a spot in the lives of future generations, Friendly's is undergoing a transformation and inviting guests back to try them out starting Monday.

Some of the changes will include all fresh, never frozen beef patties, haddock rather than the cheaper pollack  in the Fishamajig sandwich, larger ice cream scoop sizes, a 'slinky dog' 9-inch hot dog and hard-scooped ice cream in the Fribbles.

Some of the stores will also undergo an interior and exterior makeover.  More store locations are also planned for 2014.

Friendly's CEO John McQuire told WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Anthony Silva he hopes the changes restore Friendly's to what it once was.

"We found in research the fact that even though Friendly's has struggled over the past 10 to 15 years, there is a tremendous amount of latent loyalty," McQuire told Silva. "People root for the brand."

"If you think of it from the standpoint of celebrating birthdays or when you won or lost a Little League game or time and experience with your grandparents or where people of our generation hung out as teenagers, Friendly's is a place that has created memories for folks that transcend a lifetime and are literally generation to generation," he told WBZ.

McQuire said so far, sales are up and rave reviews are coming in.

An advertising blitz will start in the Springfield market Monday, asking customers to come try them again.

"We are really now focused on next week when we re-invite all those folks to come back and rediscover the brand," McQuire said.

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