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Friendly's Closing 23 More Restaurants In Northeast

WILBRAHAM (CBS) – Friendly's has decided to close 23 locations in the northeast, the CEO of the iconic restaurant chain said in a letter to franchisees Monday.

Fourteen corporate-owned restaurants will be closing in upstate New York, three in Massachusetts, three in Connecticut, two in New Hampshire and one in Maine. The closures include locations on Temple Street in Framingham, Main Street in Holden, Lexington Street in Waltham, West Street in Keene and the Daniel Webster Highway in Nashua.

The closures will leave Friendly's with 77-corporate owned restaurants and 97 franchisee-owned restaurants.

friendlys closing
A complete list of the Friendly's closures. (Image credit: Friendly's)

Friendly's CEO George Michel said the decision to close so many restaurants was made after a "months-long evaluation and careful consideration."

"While this was a tough decision, we are confident it will best position the brand for a bright future," he wrote. "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."

Friendly's started as an ice cream shop in Springfield in 1935.

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