Marlborough Friendly's Now Last Left In MetroWest

MARLBOROUGH, MA — Friendly's is closing 23 of its restaurants across the Northeast – but its Marlborough location will not be one of them. The three doomed Bay State restaurants are in Framingham, Waltham and Holden, said Friendly's CEO George Mitchell in a letter to franchise owners. The closure of the Framingham location makes Marlborough the last location with the franchise in the MetroWest.

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

After the closures are done Friendly's will have 77 corporate-owned restaurants and 97 franchisee-owned restaurants, according to Mitchell's statement. Friendly's now has 39 restaurants left in Massachusetts, according to its website.

The national chain, which was started in Springfield during the Great Depression, previously filed for bankruptcy in 2011 and shuttered dozens of restaurants in Massachusetts.

The Friendly's in Marlborough is located at 180 Boston Post Rd West.

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