Friendly’s Restaurants Franchising Co, LLC, the family restaurant and ice cream shop with more than 80 years of rich history, hosted the official grand opening of its newest location in Orlando, Florida, setting the tone for much-anticipated national growth from the beloved brand. The new restaurant brings Friendly’s presence across Florida to three locations while expanding the brand’s growing national footprint to more than 100 locations spanning the Eastern seaboard.
Friendly’s plans to take the brand West of the Mississippi and into the Sunbelt in states like Texas, Georgia, the Carolinas and more, serving up lucrative business opportunities and delicious food and ice cream across the nation. The new Orlando location is owned and operated by multi-unit franchisee, Amol Kohli, who started his journey with Friendly’s as a teenager, later opened his first Friendly’s in 2009 and has since scaled his portfolio with the brand to several locations across the East Coast continuing to strengthen the brand’s regional recognition.
“Being a Friendly’s franchise owner has opened many doors and afforded me many different opportunities. The leadership team believed in me when I was young and has supported me on my journey ever since. I’m grateful for the network I’ve built and for the opportunity to have a brand-new location in Orlando. Friendly’s is a nostalgic novelty that’s meant to be shared and experienced. I’m honored and humbled to have grown with the brand and into so many new communities,” said Kohli in a statement. “The dynamic business model combines an upscale diner and traditional ice cream parlor experience with a modern twist that has appealing menu items for everyone to share and enjoy. This multi-generational brand has flourished on the East Coast for decades and I’m privileged to be a part of that success with the newly designed location in Orlando.”
The company is building momentum to expand and advance its franchise and development plans with experienced business owners and investors looking to grow their current portfolios. Friendly’s comeback plans target opening three to five new restaurants next year. Strategic moves for the brand include a new look in different markets, co-branding opportunities as well as maintaining an appealing and affordable menu with a strong ice cream and value proposition.
“The new restaurant is one of many more to come from Friendly’s as we continue to expand and share our beloved legacy brand. We’ve introduced new style and design concepts at the Orlando restaurant, which we plan to introduce on a grander scale in future locations,” said Sherif Mityas, CEO of Brix Holdings LLC, the parent company of Friendly’s. “Amol and his team continue to exceed expectations and we believe this location will do outstanding under his leadership and guidance. We have a strong network of franchisees and are confident we’ll continue to usher in strong entrepreneurs who will bring the concept to new cities.”
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