In Springfield, Massachusetts at the height of the Great Depression, two spunky brothers, 20 year old Prestley and 18 year old Curtis Blake opened a modest neighborhood ice cream shoppe with double-dip cones for five cents. The young entrepreneurs named the business “Friendly” with the intention of providing warm, caring, neighborly service to all who visit.
By 1950, Friendly’s became the first store in New England to offer ice cream in a take home half gallon ice cream package. Over the next two decades, Friendly’s continued to offer packaged ice cream at its restaurants introducing signature favorites including the Jubilee Roll? in 1975, and many signature ice cream flavors such as Forbidden Chocolate?, Vienna Mocha Chunk? and Royal Banana Split?.
In 1987, Friendly’s began selling ice cream to supermarkets and introduced the 6-ounce Sundae Cup and celebration cakes. And in 2014, Friendly’s introduced ice cream bars, sundae cones, and Friendwiches.
For more than 70 years, Friendly’s has worked hard every day to create long-lasting memories for those who enjoy the more than 120 products in the brand’s portfolio. Friendly’s ice cream products are widely available in the Northeast with some distribution in the Carolinas, Idaho, Illinois and Texas.