Hingham Brigham's bucks the trend

By Johanna Seltz, Globe Correspondent

Ice cream lovers here exhaled in relief last week when they learned the iconic Brigham’s in Hingham Square would remain open, despite the news that the corporation has filed for bankruptcy.

Similar happy sentiments were heard in Quincy, where the Brigham’s in Wollaston will stay in business because it, too, is privately owned. There is still a restaurant open at the former Brigham’s in Weymouth, but it is now called Bob’s Muffin.

But folks in Braintree and Kingston were expecting bad news for the corporate-owned restaurants there. And the Brigham’s in Brockton has closed.

‘‘This Brigham’s location is not closing,’’ said a sign in the window of Hingham’s eight-booth restaurant, which has been a downtown fixture since 1954.

Larry Corthell, general manager of the neighboring Noble’s Camera Shop, made the sign because so many people were worried that Brigham’s would close, he said. The sign explains that the restaurant is independently owned and not affected by the corporation’s plan to file for bankruptcy protection.

‘‘What I’ll do for free food,’’ Corthell said with a laugh. ‘‘I eat there a couple of times a week. Everybody here does. Without it, I’d probably be brown-bagging.’’

Luke T. Cooper, managing director of the Baltimore equity firm that owns 13 Brigham’s restaurants, has said he hopes to keep some of them open, even though he’s filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection.

Cooper bought the 95-year-old New England chain 18 months ago. (Brigham’s ice cream brand is unaffected by Cooper’s financial troubles; HP Hood bought the ice cream business last year.)

‘‘We’ve been paying the employees out of the registers; we haven’t gotten any paychecks in four weeks,’’ said John Weafer, corporate manager of the Kingston Brigham’s. He said they were notified Nov. 6 that employee health insurance had been canceled as of Aug. 31.

‘‘Two weeks ago we were told we would be fine through the holidays. ... We haven’t been told anything [since then]. It’s very confusing. We only know what it says in the newspapers,’’ he said.

‘‘Thank goodness we have nothing to do with what’s going on [as reported] in the newspapers,’’ said Pat Halliday, who owns the Hingham Brigham’s. ‘‘But it’s really too bad for all those people working in the corporate stores.’’

Halliday has run the Hingham restaurant since 1998 and bought the license to operate under the Brigham’s name in 2004, she said.

‘‘It’s a separate, sole proprietorship,’’ she said. It’s also a family affair. The work force varies from three to eight, depending on the season, and almost everybody is related, she said. Nieces and nephews work there, as did Halliday’s daughter until she married and had four children.

Her 83-year-old father, Raymond Parks, arrives early to make the soups, chowders, and American chop suey. He also shops for fresh vegetables and groceries. He owned three Brigham’s over the last 40 years, Halliday said — the one across from the Prudential building in Boston, one at Westgate Mall in Brockton, and the one at the Hanover Mall.

Halliday’s customers also have longevity. Last week, college students she has known since they were in grade school stopped in for their ‘‘last fix’’ of ice cream before going back to school.

‘‘We have a lot of regulars. People walk in and I usually know what they want,’’ she said. ‘‘There’s one customer, Chris, who comes in three or four times a week. I see his truck and I start making his extra-thick coffee frappe. It’s his coffee fix for the day.’’

Then there’s the couple, Jean and Gene, who arrive for coffee every day, she said.

Dorothy Galo, Hingham’s superintendent of schools, said she eats lunch at Brigham’s ‘‘almost every day.’’

‘‘I walk in and they hand me a Diet Coke,’’ she said. ‘‘I feel very good that they’re still going to be there, for Patty and her crew, as well as for me.’’

‘‘I hope they stay forever,’’ said Marty Baron, who’s owned Carolann’s Childrens Shoppe next door for the last 25 years. ‘‘I’m open seven days a week and I’m there seven days a week. I like ice cream — strawberry and chocolate chip with jimmies.’’

On the other side of Brigham’s is the 59-year-old Whitney Gordon’s Jewelers, owned for the last 24 years by Lorraine and Michael Campbell. Lorraine Campbell said they bring their lunch from home, but still are glad Brigham’s is surviving.

‘‘We have mutual customers — longtime, loyal customers — and they are very relieved that [Brigham’s] will still be here,’’ Campbell said. ‘‘We like the fact that it won’t be an empty store next door. That’s a big thing for the downtown. ... And she runs a great shop and is a very nice neighbor.’’

Johanna Seltz can be reached at seelenfam@verizon.net.