He and his younger brother opened the first Friendly ice cream parlor in 1935, parlaying the profits from five-cent double-dip cones into a sprawling empire of eateries.
S. Prestley Blake, a Founder of Friendlyâs, Dies at 106
With a $547 loan from their parents, he and a brother opened the Friendly Ice Cream Shop in 1935, then built it into a chain of hundreds of restaurants.
S. Prestley Blake outside a Friendly’s restaurant in Port St. Lucie, Fla., in 2001. He and his brother started the business with a $547 loan from their parents.Credit.Gary I. Rothstein
Published Feb. 12, 2021Updated Feb. 16, 2021
S. Prestley Blake, who with his brother built a Massachusetts ice cream shop into the Friendlyâs restaurant chain, sold it for a huge profit in the 1970s and decades later helped engineer a takeover threat to protest what he saw as mismanagement, died on Thursday in Stuart, Fla. He was 106.
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Sun Capital Partners-owned FIC Restaurants announced the bankruptcy asset sale of Friendly’s in November
Amici Partners Group, LLC an investment group affiliated with BRIX Holdings franchising company, which owns Red Mango Yogurt Café Smoothie and Juice Bar and Souper Salad, among other franchises has finalized the acquisition of Friendly’s Restaurants for an undisclosed amount. Former Friendly’s Restaurants owners, Sun Capital Partners, announced the bankruptcy asset sale in November after the company declared bankruptcy.
According to the announcement, the Amici Group plans to keep all 130 corporate-owned and franchised Friendly’s locations open. The investors of Amici Partners Group, LLC have been involved with the Friendly s Restaurant brand in many capacities over the years, not only as owners/operators and leaders in the system, but also as longtime loyal customers of this iconic brand, Craig Erlich, president and CEO of Amici Partners and its affiliated
January 12, 2021 · ·
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Lexington, KY (
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