Friendly's Restaurants Introduces a Dozen Delicious New Menu Items

Biggest menu launch in over a decade features familiar recipes with a contemporary twist

HAUPPAUGE, N.Y., April 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Calling all those with a big appetite and a sweet tooth, Friendly's Restaurants welcomes guests to indulge in 12 new menu items that bring a mouthwatering twist to salads, burgers, pasta and more. The revamped menu signals a new era for the iconic brand, appealing to a younger clientele while still catering to longtime guests.

"As the third oldest restaurant chain in the United States, Friendly's is far more than just a name, it is a collection of stories, memories, ideas, and the loving guests who have walked through its doors," said Roberto De Angelis, Chief Experience Officer of Friendly's Restaurants. "We want to stay true to this wonderful heritage, while also continuing to evolve, so after carefully studying the emotional connection between our guests and our brand, we are updating our menu. We are keeping the items guests love, eliminating others, and adding sensational new offerings. The result is a menu that both satisfies our longtime guests and is also bold enough to go after those who have not recently considered Friendly's for a dining experience."

The beloved restaurant chain reduced the number of items - the eight-page menu is now two-  and added two new menu categories with pasta and chopped burgers, as well as expanding the salad selection. The new changes sparked contemporary and creative food creations such as the Tater Kegs appetizer, $100,000 Cobb Salad, Grilled Chicken Mozza SuperMelt®, Doritos® Cool Ranch® ChoppedCheese Burger, Cheese Skirt Burger and Bangin' Beef Stroganoff.

"We are excited to bring a unique spin to some of our fan favorite menu items in a way that is both memorable and delicious," said Craig Erlich, CEO of Friendly's Restaurants.

The 12 new menu items include:

Tater Kegs - What's better than a regular tater? Five jumbo tater kegs stuffed with Cheddar, bacon and chives, topped off with sour cream.

$100,000 Cobb Salad - A hearty salad topped with boiled egg, crumbled Bleu cheese, chopped bacon, cranberries, golden raisins, diced tomato and savory thin sliced chicken breast tossed with Lite Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing.

Chicken Caesar Salad - A timelessly tasty choice. Mixed lettuce, thinly sliced chicken breast, shaved Parmesan and garlic croutons tossed in creamy asiago caesar dressing.

Jammed-Up Burger - As if a classic juicy patty wasn't beefy enough, the beef masterpiece is made with a classic beef patty and white cheddar cheese, heaped with a generous layer of cheesy beef brisket, lettuce, tomato and fig jam on a brioche bun.

Cheese Skirt Burger - Don't skirt on the Cheese Skirt Burger! It's a cheese lover's dream come true: a skirt made out of cheese. Enjoy the cheese skirt first, fold it inside the burger, or switch off taking a bite after a glorious bite of burger and crispy Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheese. Topped with tangy Thousand Island dressing, lettuce, onion, tomato and pickle chips on a brioche bun.

Doritos® Cool Ranch® ChoppedCheese Burger - This burger is the coolest. It starts with a classic juicy beef burger topped with Pepper Jack cheese, onions, jalapenos and salsa, then smothered with ranch dressing and topped with COOL RANCH® tortilla chips. All packed inside a perfectly grilled ciabatta roll.

Tex-Mex Alfredo Taco Pasta - Spice is always nice. A Bolognese style Tex-Mex meat sauce and hearty pasta tossed in a creamy Alfredo Sriracha taco sauce. Served with toasted ciabatta bread.

Bangin' Beef Stroganoff - Make some noise for a thin sliced sirloin steak coated in a luscious creamy mushroom, onion and garlic sauce and tossed with perfectly cooked pasta. Served with thick ciabatta toast.

American Cheese Brisket SuperMelt® - Melt-in-your-mouth beef brisket and melty American cheese are stacked on parmesan-grilled sourdough to create this hearty iconic sandwich.

Grilled Chicken Mozza SuperMelt® - It's super-stuffed to cheesy perfection. Thin-sliced chicken breast, roasted red peppers and basil pesto sauce are layered between thick white Cheddar and Mozzarella cheeses on grilled sourdough.

Oven Roasted Beef Brisket - Enjoy six ounces of extra tender brisket; served with steamed vegetables, gravy-topped garlic red skin mashed potatoes, and thick ciabatta toast.

Aloha Stir Fry Chicken - A flavor-packed delight in every bite. Delicious chicken with vegetable and pineapple rice in a light sauce. Crisp chow mein noodles round out this spectacular stir-fry.

It wouldn't be a Friendly's menu without ice cream, and several new creations are coming including the NEW Barking Pretzel ice cream flavor. This creamy treat is a brown sugar-flavored ice cream swirled with peanut butter, chocolate-coated pretzel pieces and salty pretzel bark pieces. The Barking Pretzel Shortcake Sundae, Barking Pretzel Fribble, and Barking Pretzel Brownie Tower are three of the latest confections coming to the menu featuring the ice cream. Friendly's famous Fribble will get an update with the addition of whipped cream and a cherry on top, and the menu will also have a new Fudgy PB Nut Fribble.

The updated menu items are available to enjoy for dine-in, or customers can order online or with the Friendly's app for takeout and delivery. Starting April 6, dine-in and online order customers will receive a free medium sundae with the purchase of a $100,000 Cobb Salad, Chicken Caesar Salad, Jammed-Up Burger, Doritos® Cool Ranch® ChoppedCheese Burger, Tex-Mex Alfredo Taco Pasta, or the Grilled Chicken Mozza SuperMelt® through April 30.

For more information about Friendly's Restaurants, visit www.friendlysrestaurants.com.

Friendly's Restaurants is an iconic American brand serving signature entrees, burgers, sandwiches and hand-crafted, specialty ice cream desserts in 130 friendly, full service restaurants. For over 80 years, Friendly's Restaurants and their dedicated service teams have delighted generations of guests by offering everyday value on great tasting food and ice cream creations. Friendly's Restaurants was acquired by Amici Partners Group, LLC, an experienced investor group with a national and international franchisor background specializing in the restaurant industry. Amici Partners is majority owned byJAMCO Interest LLC, based in Dallas, Texas. For the future, Friendly's Restaurants has plans for introducing new and innovative food and ice cream offerings, bright new restaurants, and unique ways to reach and satisfy guests.  For additional information, please visit www.friendlysrestaurants.com.

SOURCE Friendly's