Brookline Friendly's adds one more to the list of closures

The Friendly's Express in Coolidge Corner wasn't included in a list of closures the restaurant chain announced Wednesday, but it has been closed, too. Photo courtesy Brookline Selectwoman Jesse Mermell.

By Brock Parker, Town Correspondent

It wasn't on the list of 63 restaurant closings in Massachusetts announced with a bankruptcy filing this week, but Friendly's is off the menu in Coolidge Corner nonetheless.

The restaurant chain closed the Friendly's Express restaurant at 289 Harvard St. Sunday night, ending a short-lived run in Brookline where the restaurant opened in April of 2010.

Rich Tauberman, a spokesman for the restaurant chain, said the closing of the restaurant in Coolidge Corner was done separately from the other closings. While some of the factors leading to the closure of the other 63 restaurants in Massachusetts contributed to the closing of the Brookline location, Tauberman said "rental considerations" also played a factor. He would not elaborate.

The Friendly's Express in Brookline was only the second location of the restaurant chain's Express model, which offers a limited menu and is designed for customers to either eat in the restaurant or grab their food to go.

The Globe noted the restaurant in Coolidge Corner was crowded last Friday with families and senior citizens, but by the end of the weekend the doors were closed.

"I know some people didn't think Friendly's 'fit' in Coolidge Corner, but it actually is a loss as an affordable option to grab a bite to eat in the neighborhood," said Selectwoman Jesse Mermell. "Plus, there is no such thing as a good vacancy - not to mention the jobs lost."