Friendly's

PE-Owned1 Documented Impact

Sun Capital executed sale-leaseback on 160 properties, dumped $115M pension. Filed bankruptcy twice. Sold for just $2M — fraction of $337M Sun paid.

Founded: 1935|Acquired by Sun Capital Partners (2007)$337 million
8
locations tracked

Ownership Information

Friendly's is owned by Sun Capital Partners. Private equity ownership often leads to cost-cutting, price increases, and reduced quality of service as firms prioritize returns for investors over customers and employees.Learn more about PE ownership impact →

Timeline

1935

Friendly's founded

2007

Acquired by Sun Capital Partners for $337 million

2020CriticalClosure / Bankruptcy

Friendly's bankrupted twice under Sun Capital, sold for $2M

Sun Capital executed sale-leaseback on 160 properties, dumped $115M in pension obligations. Two bankruptcies. Eventually sold for just $2M — a fraction of the $337M Sun paid.

Before vs. After PE Acquisition

Restaurants

Reported 2020

Before PE

~500 restaurants

After PE

~130 restaurants

74%

Tracked Locations

CA (2)

Los Angeles

78 Main St

Los Angeles, CA 90001

555-799-7439

San Diego

1608 Main St

San Diego, CA 92101

555-895-3333

FL (1)

Tampa

3577 Main St

Tampa, FL 33601

555-626-5369

NC (1)

Charlotte

1598 Main St

Charlotte, NC 28201

555-108-1212

NY (1)

New York

9268 Main St

New York, NY 10001

555-270-3652

PA (1)

Philadelphia

1007 Main St

Philadelphia, PA 19019

555-658-4650

TX (2)

Dallas

8937 Main St

Dallas, TX 75201

555-164-9069

Houston

1762 Main St

Houston, TX 77001

555-500-1543