A Brief History

Friendly Ice Cream Corporation had its beginning in 1935 when Curtis and Prestley Blake, two teen-aged brothers, opened their first ice cream shop in Springfield, Massachusetts.

The name "Friendly" was chosen by the brothers because they felt it best demonstrated the feeling they wanted their customers to perceive when they visited their ice cream shop. The Blakes operated the business for nearly 44 years, building the Company into a chain of several hundred informal restaurants featuring a limited menu of ice cream and sandwiches.

In 1979, they elected retirement and sold Friendly's to the Hershey Foods Corporation which continued to operate Friendly's as a wholly owned subsidiary. Over the nearly ten years of Hershey ownership, emphasis was placed on broadening the menu and expanding the business into metropolitan areas in 15 states throughout the eastern United States.

In September 1988, Friendly's became part of The Restaurant Company. Under the leadership of Donald N. Smith, Chairman of the Board of The Restaurant Company and Chief Executive Officer of Friendly Ice Cream Corporation, Friendly's has strengthened its position in the family restaurant segment of the industry, introducing innovative new menu items while upgrading the physical appearance of its restaurants and improving the quality of guest service. 

Over the years, under successive owners, one theme has underscored Friendly's continuing success: quality products served in clean, pleasant surroundings by the "Friendly-est" employees who truly care about our guests.

In 1998 Friendly Ice cream Corporation entered into a Franchise agreement with JMC Restaurant Group, INC. In September, 1998 JMC Restaurant Group, INC. opened a Friendly’s Restaurant in Tannersville Pennsylvania, and is one of the first privately owned Friendly’s Franchises in the country.