Friendly's

Friendly's, which is owned by private equity firm Sun Capital, said in a press release that it tried to work out more favorable lease arrangements at locations where it believed rents did not reflect current market conditions and were making it difficult to keep operating the restaurants.

Boston.com Top Stories 2012

planned chain of fast food restaurants called Friendly's Express , assumedly a bid to capture business from customers hurt by the recession.

The Full Feed from HuffingtonPost.com The Huffington Post News Editors 2011

Then it may have felt like the longest three weeks of any summer, but those windy fishing trips, afternoons at Jones Beach and dinners at Friendly's have shape my life.

Kristofer Eisenla: Happy Father's Day, Artie Kristofer Eisenla 2011

In the past two years, ingredient costs for the chain's signature Fribble shakes have risen by roughly a third, a Friendly's spokesman said.

Hamburgers, Fries and a Shakeout Julie Jargon 2011

Then it may have felt like the longest three weeks of any summer, but those windy fishing trips, afternoons at Jones Beach and dinners at Friendly's have shape my life.

Kristofer Eisenla: Happy Father's Day, Artie Kristofer Eisenla 2011

Then it may have felt like the longest three weeks of any summer, but those windy fishing trips, afternoons at Jones Beach and dinners at Friendly's have shape my life.

Kristofer Eisenla: Happy Father's Day, Artie Kristofer Eisenla 2011

Rising ingredient prices hit smaller and midsize chains like Friendly's harder because they usually don't have the leverage to enter long-term deals with suppliers that cushion them from volatile commodities markets.

Hamburgers, Fries and a Shakeout Julie Jargon 2011

That shift in habits is just one of many problems leaving some smaller and midsize restaurant chains, such as Friendly's, Chevys and Quiznos, grasping for enough profit.

Hamburgers, Fries and a Shakeout Julie Jargon 2011

The Friendly's chain filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, pressed by the weak economy and rapidly rising commodity costs.

What's News: Business & Finance 2011

Friendly's said that while it "fared better than industry averages in the mid-scale and casual-dining sectors over the last few years, we could not shield our bottom line from the significant impact of the soaring commodity prices driven by butter and the economic downturn."

Hamburgers, Fries and a Shakeout Julie Jargon 2011