After a brief closure, Friendly's in Waltham has relaunched its restaurant and at least for the moment, it appears popular.
The Wilbraham-based restaurant chain reopened the Waltham location on Lexington Street in July after closing for interior and exterior renovations and menu changes.
The move comes after the company filed for bankruptcy and closed some stores, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Friendly's chose to keep its Waltham location, however, because it's one of the busiest restaurants it has, according to CEO John Maguire.
Maguire, along with Mayor Jeannette McCarthy and several Boys & Girls Club kids, gathered Aug. 29 to mark the relaunch of the Waltham location. Notably, the restaurant was packed and busy as Waltham Patch spoke to Maguire.
"[It] does great volume," Maguire said as patrons dined in a full dining room. "This is a fantastic location."
The Waltham location opened in 1978.
As part of the relaunch, the company also changed its menu, Maguire said. Among the examples -- they switched to fresh ice cream in their Fribbles, added fish tacos and removed roasted turkey.
"The quality of the food has to be worth it," Maguire said.
The company is also giving back some of its proceeds to Waltham organizations. According to a company press release, the company will donate $1 of every ice cream sale to the Waltham Boys & Girls Club through Sept. 4.
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