Another NJ Friendly’s restaurant closed: Here’s how many are left

As the old saying goes, another one bites the dust. This time, however, we literally mean it.

Our South Jersey colleague Heather DeLuca recently told you about the shuttering of another Friendly's Restaurant, this time in Marlton, NJ. It's not that the restaurant just closed, but rather, what's happening to the building.

As Heather noted, the Friendly's in Marlton has been shut down for some time now. It's the building being demolished that's changing the landscape forever (read more about the Marlton location here).

And thus, why this particular location is literally biting the dust. It's very sad to see, but it's also a sign of the future.

A slow trend

Quite a few Friendly's Restaurants have shuttered over the past couple of years. In New Jersey alone, at least four locations have closed since 2022.

That's four locations where childhood memories are no longer. And let's face it, Friendly's is a place that many of us hold dear to our hearts from when we were a child.

I remember my parents taking me to the Brick, NJ, location on Brick Blvd. My favorite meal was always the cheesywich (aka grilled cheese sandwich) with fries and a cone head ice cream for dessert (hot fudge was a must).

That location has since closed, but I still remember it as being a place of joy as a kid. To this day I still miss that location and would love to take my kids there today if I could.

Remaining locations

Although it may seem to be a troubling trend, the restaurant chain itself still has a decent number of locations nationwide. From Maine to Florida, these are the Friendly's Restaurants still open for business as of March 2024.

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The above post reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 Sunday morning host Mike Brant. Any opinions expressed are his own.