From Mirror and wire reports
The Friendly's Restaurant at 200 Sierra Drive, Altoona, remains open after the chain closed nearly 40 more stores as it emerges from Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization.
Laura Shero, manager and one of the owners, said the restaurant is "as busy as ever."
"We are a franchise, so it would not impact us at all," Shero said Tuesday about the recent round of store closings. "We are perfectly busy. We have great customers."
Friendly Ice Cream Corp. said each store closing Monday employed about 20 people. The company closed 10 stores in Massachusetts, nine in Connecticut, one in Rhode Island and 17 elsewhere after failing to renegotiate lease agreements with landlords whose rents it said did not reflect market conditions.
The 76-year-old company known for its ice cream and hamburgers said 380 stores remain open. The Wilbraham, Mass.-based firm filed for bankruptcy protection in October after closing 63 stores and eliminating about 1,260 jobs.
"The first time [closings were announced], we had lots of people calling to see if we were still open," Shero said.
