The headlines for Friendly's have not been good the past couple of years. Among them, the saddest include "Friendly's Files For Chapter 11 Bankruptcy" and "New Jersey's Friendly's Future Uncertain After Ownership Change." So, when I saw no cars and a big dumpster parked beside Friendly's on Hooper Avenue in Toms River, I had to investigate. Could my favorite ice cream restaurant be, *GULP*, closed for good?

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Friendly's Hooper Avenue - Credit: JB
Friendly's Hooper Avenue - Credit: JB
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This Sunday, my wife and I pulled in for a Reese's Sundae and quickly realized there was not one single car in the lot. That was very odd for 3 pm on a Sunday. They're not Chik-Fil-A. They're open 7 days a week. As we got closer we saw a massive dumpster. Oh no, we thought. I jumped out and saw a sign that started me on a wild goose chase.

Friendly's Hooper Avenue - Credit: JB
Friendly's Hooper Avenue - Credit: JB
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"Closed Due To No Air Conditioning Will Be Open Soon" read the sign. When is soon? I hit google and got a big "temporarily closed" message. I went to the Friendly's website and got the same thing, but still no specifics. I called their phone line and got an error message, some problem with their line being busy. Then I went to their Facebook page and messaged them. No response. So...frustrating.

Is Friendly's closing for good, no. Thank goodness! Will they be re-opening soon? I can't get an answer but that's what their sign says. Is soon a few days, a few weeks, or a few months? Let's hope it's not a long shut down. We need Fribbles!

*** Update *** Ashley messaged me and said she's a manager. She shares that they closed because of air conditioning and are hoping to re-open the 1st week of October 2021! Great news! And don't forget, there is a 2nd location in Toms River at 981 NJ-37 West over near the BJs.

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