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Every kid who grew up in New England remembers trips to Friendly's for those adorable Cone Head sundaes, and the nostalgia of the chain endures, even for grown-ups. What started as a small scoop shop in Western Massachusetts has grown to a full-service restaurant franchise serving up eats and treats to families across the Northeast. The friendly service is merely the cherry on top.
1. It started during the Great Depression.
Back in 1935, brothers Prestley and Curtis Blake found themselves out of a job. As a way to get through the tough times, the young men borrowed some money from their parents and opened up a humble ice cream shop in Springfield, MA, selling double-scoop cones for just 5 cents.
2. It was originally called "Friendly".
The Blake brothers envisioned the shop as a friendly place for families to enjoy a hamburger and an ice cream treat together, hence the simple name "Friendly." The name wasn't changed to include the apostrophe until 1989.
3. World War II forced the founders to close up shop.
The founders closed up temporarily in 1943, shuttering their locations in the Western Massachusetts area and putting up signs that said they'd be back "when we win the war." The shops reopened in 1945, providing plenty of ice cream to celebrate the war's end.
4. Hershey and Friendly's have had a long, sweet friendship.
Friendly's sold to Hershey Foods Corporation in 1979, which sparked some genius collaborations that can still be found on the menu today. The Reese's Pieces Sundae is still an uber-popular item, and other Hershey confections like Oreo and Heath Bar Crunch have made appearances as pairings for the legendary ice cream.
5. They churn out over 27 million gallons of ice cream per year.
Friendly's was the first restaurant in New England to introduce "take home" half-gallons of ice cream in the 50s, and it's now become a staple in supermarkets everywhere. Ice cream lovers can choose from 63 flavors at the restaurants, or even pick up Sundae Cups, festive ice cream cakes, sundae cones and more from the grocery store freezer section to enjoy at home.
6. But ice cream isn't Friendly's only specialty.
When the business was purchased by Tennessee Restaurant Company in 1988, Friendly's became a full-service restaurant. The very first food item was a hamburger, but they've since branched out to include made-to-order burgers, tasty sandwiches like the loaded SuperMelts and the Friendly Frank, a hot dog served on a griddled New England–style roll.
7. The chain has broken a Guinness World Record ... twice.
In 1980, Friendly's broke the Guinness World Record for building the largest sundae, then topped that achievement by throwing the World's Largest Dessert Party in 2013 on the lawn of the company headquarters in Wilbraham, MA.
Friendly's Guinness World Record from Regan Original Video on Vimeo.
8. You've gotta try a Fribble.
Nope, that's not a typo—one of Friendly's most iconic desserts is a milkshake with a nonsensical name, invented by a couple of customers. The concoction is comprised of flavored syrup and ice milk, and used to be called the Awful Awful back in the day, after an impressed taster deemed it "awful big and awful good." The current name apparently means "a thing of no great importance," but we think that undermines it's insane deliciousness.
9. They've got you covered for holiday desserts.
Friendly's ice cream rolls are like festive cakes for any occasion, but the Jubilee Roll has been around since1975. It's chocolate ice cream, surrounded by chocolate chip ice cream and topped with fudge, chopped almonds, an ice cream ribbon and candy chips. Happy holidays, indeed!
10. They totally changed the ice cream sandwich game.
The chain teamed up with Pop-Tarts to make some dope ice cream sandwiches that put the typical freezer-section variety to shame. The partnership started out with Candy Bar, Forbidden Chocolate and Strawberry ice cream sandwiches, but the current flavor is Salted Caramel Blondie Brownie Blasé. YUM.
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