Friendly’s chain in a sweet spot, CEO says
Ned Lidvall left his Louisville digs last year for New England to take the helm of Friendly Ice Cream Corp. Lidvall, 56, said the Wilbraham ice cream chain has what it takes to beat this recession and expand the Fribble legacy across the region. Lidvall recently spoke with Globe reporter Jenn Abelson about staying relevant, the frozen yogurt craze, and why buttercrunch ice cream is best.
What effect has the recession had on the Friendly’s business?
We’re seeing fewer visits and people are managing their checks, ordering fewer appetizers, and using more coupons.
Has Friendly’s lowered its prices?
One of the biggest things we did is launch the $9.99 bundle - a real value meal. It offers a beverage, entree, and sundae dessert, and it’s getting tremendous traction.
What are you doing to cut costs?
We are using software to manage labor costs - not investing in staff when the guests aren’t there. We are also controlling capital expenditures.
Friendly’s has faced criticism for cleanliness and customer service in recent years. How are you facing those challenges?
Our district managers are focused on a smaller span of restaurants. Restaurants are being evaluated on a quarterly basis by management and specific improvement plans are in place. We launched our e-training program to train management, and we overhauled our restaurant cleaning process. It’s all aimed at better operating procedures and a better guest experience.
Are the Friendly’s founders - the Blakes brothers - still involved? They were involved in a pretty public feud recently over the future of the company before it was sold to Sun Capital.
I’ve had the pleasure of meeting both of them on separate occasions since joining the company. They are big supporters. They both come at the business from the same angle - if you pay attention to the guest and the staff and the team, you will be successful. It’s Restaurant 101.
How does Friendly’s stay relevant when there are so many other family restaurants like Applebee’s or Olive Garden?
You have to understand who your core constituency is, why you’re important to them, and continue to strengthen that performance. It’s all about families and about family occasions that involve ice cream. It’s where ice cream makes the meal. We are working hard on the menu. I don’t think we need to change who we are as much as how we do it.
Why did Friendly’s recently launch its first fast casual restaurant, Friendly’s Express?
We believe that the smaller footprint with quicker service fits into current lifestyles. People want more premium products in a faster service setting. We see it as a good growth vehicle for corporate restaurants and franchisees. This is a big part of our future.
Aren’t you late to the game? There’s no doubt that the Paneras and Chipotles of the world have a big head start on us. But it’s still a growth segment. What we really like about our position is that we can offer premium products and convenience - and then we add that sweet treat.
How does Friendly’s compete with the increasingly popular frozen yogurt chains?
Fro-yo is really trendy. There are a lot of players that are jumping into that. That is something we could expand into some day. Our core is premium ice cream and sundaes. We’re not planning to try to compete with tart fro-yo players for now.
What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?
I’m a buttercrunch fan. It’s one of the old standbys. When it comes to sundaes, I’m a two-scoop guy with hot fudge and whipped topping.
