April 24, 2025 • 40 mins
At a time when casual dining chains struggle with inflation, shifting consumer habits, and competition from fast food, some such as Chili’s are making a huge comeback! By selling consumers on their value meals and simple menu options and then using the power of social media to do it, we’re seeing chain restaurants gain favor again. Which restaurant chain is your favorite, and which would you like to see make a comeback in New England? Sherif Mityas, a restaurant industry expert and the CEO of Brix Holdings, a multi-brand franchising company that owns Friendly’s among other chains, joined us to discuss!
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
It's nice with Dan on Dell Boston Radio.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
I just follow up last hour.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
I know that I was talking to Rob of the
Grand Wizard of Professional Wrestling, which we talked. We mentioned
him in passing in Joe and I'm a renaissance man
and that I follow lots of issues. But they say
that the only person whose intellect might have approached the
intellect of the Grand Wizard of Professional Wrestling was none
(00:30):
other than Albert Einstein. And there's a there's a debate
in the intellectual academic community as to who actually was
a you know, just had a higher IQ, the Grand
Wizard of Professional Wrestling or Albert Einstein. It can be
argued either way. But I just just would put the
the exclamation point on that we are changing topics and
(00:54):
we have Sharif Mit yes with us.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
Sharif.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
I don't know if you're a wrestling fan, but one
of our call his last hour told me that he
was driving he drives home every night, and he had
been at a show and so he mentioned that. I said, well,
what musical instrument. You know, most of these folks are
who listened to us, they they're musicians. And he said
that that he had been a he had been in
(01:17):
a participating in a wrestling show.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
Uh, and he.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
I asked him if he was a wrestling said he
was a wrestling manager. So obviously that immediately. I don't
know if you remember the grid Wizard of professional wrestling,
and I know that you're not prepared to talk about
this in any great detail, shearif because it's a little
off topic. But he was quite an intellect at his time,
that's for sure.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
How are you.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
Tonight, I'm doing great And I wrestled in high school,
but not not the not the w w ee kind.
Speaker 1 (01:50):
Yeah, well this was Yeah, the Grand Wizard was a
he was a manager, and uh he was.
Speaker 2 (01:58):
He was a brilliant tactician. Let me put it like that.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
You know, in his sports, there has never been has
never been touched by scandal, as one of my predecessors,
Eddie Andaman used to remind us.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
Which is true.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
It was never touched by any form of rigging or
scandal or anything like that.
Speaker 2 (02:13):
It's a lot of the other sports have had.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
You know, Baseball had their black socks scandal, and there's
been some college basketball scandals, and we remember Paul Horning
and Alex Carris, who who lost the year for some
and Pete Rose and all of that, but pro wrestling
has been, you know, a very upstanding sport in this country. Anyway,
there you go, Yeah, look up the Grand Wizard of
(02:38):
professional wrestling. You'll you'll understand this brilliance. That is not
what we're talking about. Uh Sharif bit Yes, I was
a guest of us earlier this week. He is the
CEO of a company called Bricks Holdings. And you're gonna say,
oh damn, we're doing some heavy duty economics. Yeah we are,
but it's interesting economics. Tell Bricks Holdings. What does your
(03:03):
company do?
Speaker 4 (03:06):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (03:06):
So we're a franchisor of eight restaurant brands. So we
have over three hundred locations and forty some states around
the country, and the one that your listeners will probably
know the most is the Friendlies chain Family Dining at
its best our ninetieth birthday this year. We still have
(03:27):
some great stores around Boston and Pembrooke and Norwood and
South Weymouth and a few other sites. But we've got
ninety two stores up and down the Eastern seaboard and
we love serving memories, as we call it, an ice cream.
Speaker 1 (03:43):
Another guests yeah, a lot of people. And by the way,
I should mention that you're not a Massachusetts native, but
you went to school here and graduated from Boston University
back in nineteen eighty nine, so you've been in this
business for a while. I want to talk about Friendlies
because Friendlies kind of disappeared here although I had was
(04:05):
red reminded. You know, Friendlies was founded in western New
England and I think it goes back to the nineteen
thirties if I'm not mistaken, and it was a it
was a standard restaurant here for most of my life,
and then it did enter bankruptcy.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
But you folks have.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
Taken them out of break bankruptcy and now Friendlies is
owned by your company, Bricks Holdings, and you're bringing them back,
and that's going to delight a lot of people.
Speaker 4 (04:33):
We are.
Speaker 3 (04:34):
We just thought when it was in bankruptcy, it was
just it was a brand that had too much still connection, right,
there were so many memories out there with guests that
we felt at the bones, so to speak of the
brand were so strong that we could bring it back.
And we're so excited to bring it back and to
grow this venerable chain again, to your point starting, you know,
(04:56):
nineteen thirty six, and so it's been around for so long,
and we just opened our latest new store down to Orlando, Florida,
brand new, beautiful store, and that we have many more
planned for the Eastern Seaboard.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
And the new incarnation. And I know it's a little
more complicated than that in the sense that Friendlies ran
into some trouble. A lot of these restaurants were in
into trouble in COVID times, and you folks have taken
(05:32):
a look at it, and there are still I think
you told me seventy franchise locations that are still operational,
and we now roll up the forty corporate locations. You're
going to have one hundred and ten approximately restaurants in
thirteen states, and the Friendlies will be back. I mean,
(05:56):
it's a great you know, it's it's it's a legacy restaurant,
and and when we lose restaurants like that, it's it's
a little frustrating. So, uh, let's let's talk about Friendlies.
But I also want to remind people, uh as we
talk today that COVID not only had an impact on Friendlies,
(06:20):
but Red Lobster t G I F. Friday's Buca di Beppa,
which is one of my favorites. Uh, a nationwide chain,
and you mentioned a couple of others on the border
and Hooters, which I know is a controversial restaurant that
that sort of lost. It's uh, it's panache, if you will.
(06:41):
But then you also mentioned, like someone just told me
that ground Round is back in business. There was I
got an email from a listener. But, uh, are there
any ground Round restaurants left as far as.
Speaker 3 (06:53):
You know, Well, yeah, I think there's there. There could
be the one that they're trying to resurrect. And so
there are some old brands out there. You mean, you
had Benegan's right, and you had Steak and Ale, and
there's these really old brands that people remember they unfortunately
died out, and you know, there's there's brave souls out
(07:14):
there that are trying to resurrect them. And it's it's
hard though. The restaurant business is tough.
Speaker 1 (07:19):
Yeah, you also just to sort of flesh out your
expertise in your background. There's a bunch of other restaurants
that that you folks run, and some of them I'm
familiar with, some of them, I'm not Orange Leaf, which
is a frozen yogurt restaurant, Red mango quean juice, which
(07:40):
I guess is organic juice, and that's down in the South.
Is it Super Salad that's a buffet restaurant, Super Salad.
Speaker 3 (07:48):
That's right, super solid yep. And then we have Smoothie
Factory plus kitchen yep, our smoothie concept.
Speaker 2 (07:56):
Yeah. Okay.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
So what I want to do when I come back,
I want to talk with you in greater depth and
I'm hoping callers will join us as to what restaurants
would they like to see come back, uh, and and
you would be able to give us some updates on them.
But I also want to talk to you about the
restaurant industry. And you know these these are chains which
(08:18):
a lot of the chains have survived. I mean McDonald's,
which give you give me a choice between going to
McDonald's and a Friendly's. I'm gonna pick Friendlies every day
of the week and twice on Sunday.
Speaker 5 (08:29):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (08:29):
And there's nothing, there's nothing to compare.
Speaker 6 (08:32):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
The only one that has come along recently that I
think is really a great, family style and inexpensive restaurant.
I like Olive Garden, but Chick fil A, which has
a little bit of controversy with it, but that's doing
gangbusters from what I understand.
Speaker 3 (08:51):
It really is. Yeah, they've they've kind of broken the formula,
so to speak. And uh, they're they're on a growth street.
Speaker 1 (08:58):
One other restaurant that I know a little bit about,
how is Popeye's doing. Is that on the upside or
is it slowing down?
Speaker 3 (09:08):
Well, you know, they they had a massive, let's call it,
social media introduction of their new chicken sandwich and they
were selling out within minutes. But this was, you know,
a couple of years ago, you know, so they're still
doing okay, you know, kind of riding that wave that
chicken is still a very hot cuisine type. As you
(09:29):
think about the wingstops of the world and the Chick
fil haze of the world, you know, chicken is something
that's really caught fire basically across the country and supporting
a lot of these chains.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
Yeah, a little more healthy than some of the some
of the meat products and all of that, So we
get that. But my guest is a Sharif Mitt. Yes,
he's the CEO of Brick Holdings. Bricks Holdings, which is
going to bring back Friendlies, the restaurant chain Friendlies, which
is going to emerge. Has it emerged already from bankruptcy
(10:02):
or was the process still underway?
Speaker 3 (10:04):
No, we emerged. We bought it out of bankruptcy back
in twenty twenty one, and so we're back on a
growth trajectory now, okay, and.
Speaker 1 (10:14):
You will have a footprint here in Massachusetts. I see
right now that you have one on Providence Highway, which
I think is in Denham. There's another one here. I'm
not sure what town. They give me the addresses, but
they don't give me the towns.
Speaker 3 (10:32):
What are some of the and Pembrooke and South Weymouth
and Norwood those we have four stores right now Massachusetts.
Speaker 1 (10:43):
Okay, Norwood is probably the Providence Highway address, that's right,
I know. Yeah, Okay, I see where that one is.
All right, We'll going to take a break if you
like to join the conversation and ask about a favorite
restaurant of viewers that you haven't seen. Look, I remember
when the last I think there's finally one Howard Johnson
(11:05):
that is still operational up in Maine, and that was
it's like, how do you mess up Howard Johnson's. But somehow,
some way it did it went out of business.
Speaker 5 (11:17):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (11:19):
You know, that was one that everybody in New England knew.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
At least I was.
Speaker 1 (11:24):
Very familiar with Howard Johnson's. It was like it was
it was like when you were going to go out
and have some fine dining, were you'd go to Howard Johnson's. Anyway,
if you like to join the conversation talking about restaurants
six one seven, two thirty six one seven, nine three,
ten thirty And I'll tell you when I talked earlier
(11:44):
today with my guests Shariff mitt Yes, I was asking
him about restaurants all over the country, and he has
a very good grasp on the uh the industry that
he is in, and his company basically brings restaurants back.
I hope you can bring Buca to Peppa back because
I loved that restaurant. I mean I loved. I loved
(12:08):
the lemon cellos for dessert. That's what I most loved.
Take a break, coming right back on Nightside, the only
lines open on six one seven.
Speaker 2 (12:20):
Back on Nightside right after this.
Speaker 4 (12:23):
It's night Side with Boston's News Radio.
Speaker 2 (12:38):
Our guest is Sharif Mityas Met.
Speaker 1 (12:40):
Yes, the CEO of Bricks Holdings, and amongst other things,
they are bringing friendlies back, Friendly's restaurants back to life.
Let's get to a phone call, see what people I
want to talk about. Let me go to Gary in Woburn, Massachusetts. Gary,
welcome first this hour and nightside right head Gary.
Speaker 7 (12:56):
My question is this is Papa is considered a rush?
Speaker 6 (13:00):
Thanks?
Speaker 1 (13:00):
Right?
Speaker 2 (13:02):
I considered a restaurant.
Speaker 1 (13:03):
Let's see what Scharife has to say because he can
and I guess Papa Gino's has also gone. Scharife, are
you familiar with Papa Gino's.
Speaker 3 (13:13):
I am yeah. And you know, basically, Gary, you know,
any we consider any place that gets out there and
serves guests food or beverage is a restaurant. Now, there's
lots of different things. There's quick serve restaurants, there's food trucks,
there's fast casual, there's fine dining, there's casual dining. But
they're all restaurants. If they serve food, we consider them.
(13:35):
You know, a place of an establishment that would be
termed a restaurant.
Speaker 7 (13:41):
Okay, we all know that pizza is a big favorite
among people. Of course, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday when they had
it for about five to seven years, Sharif, it was
the Ali can eat type of pizza in between four
and eight o'clock, which went for six dollars. Then it
went down to five dollars. Now they don't have it anymore.
And I don't know if you're familiar with that. When
(14:02):
they had the all you can eat for a Monday
to Wednesday.
Speaker 1 (14:06):
Yep, Well, I say, Gary, I thought Papa Gino's was gone.
They still Is there still a Papa Ginos that you
go into.
Speaker 6 (14:16):
Oh?
Speaker 7 (14:16):
Absolutely, they have them in the Hayrold, Massachusetts, Settle Mahantsta
and so top of them on that valley.
Speaker 1 (14:22):
Okay, so let me let me ask Shariff and stay
right there, Gary, Sharif, did Papa Ginos go through a
re York?
Speaker 3 (14:30):
They they did, but they're still around. Yeah, they're still operating.
And but Gary, your point, you know, you see a
lot of these folks now that I have to pull
back on some of these deals, right because we've all
been to the grocery store. We all see what's happening
on prices, and unfortunately, some of these restaurants run on
very thin margins, right, and so they're they're they're having
a balancing act. Right, They don't want to alienate their guests.
(14:53):
They want to make sure people come back and understand
they can get a good deal. But those all you
can eat That's what happened to Red Lobster, right, all
you can eat shrimp. They went into bankruptcy. And so
you've got to be careful in terms of just giving
too much away while still providing great value for your guests.
Speaker 7 (15:14):
Okay, and before I let you go, both co I
went to Florida twenty years ago, just give me a
little trivia questions. It was McDonald's six o'clock on a
Friday night.
Speaker 6 (15:22):
Who was there?
Speaker 7 (15:23):
The customers and the workers, But was there anybody else there?
Speaker 8 (15:27):
No?
Speaker 7 (15:27):
And you know the reason why you can go anywhere
in Florida at six o'clock. And there was only me
and my girlfriend at six o'clock on a Friday night
in Florida.
Speaker 1 (15:37):
Which, okay, we lost care there. I don't know what
that story of what relevance that story had, but it
was an interesting story.
Speaker 2 (15:46):
I guess the Early Broode special was over.
Speaker 3 (15:49):
Right.
Speaker 1 (15:51):
Let's go next to Glenn in Brighton, Massachusetts. Glenn, I
don't know if you listened earlier, but Joan from Alaska
called in and she she mentioned your name, by the way, Oh.
Speaker 6 (16:02):
I didn't while I was taking an app earlier.
Speaker 2 (16:04):
Well, you gotta, you gotta listen.
Speaker 1 (16:06):
Then to the eleven o'clock to the ten o'clock hour,
Joan from a last was talking about a program she
is involved with in which she volunteers to help people
who are non sighted or blind whichever you know word phase.
I know you take the word blind and use that
and we're going to do something to us in service. Yeah,
so she was she mentioned so she said that this
(16:29):
is a great program. We will talk about it sometimes.
If not tomorrow night, we'll talk about it sometime next week.
You're on with my guest, Shariff mid Yes, the CEO
of Bricks Holdings.
Speaker 6 (16:39):
What's your question, Glenn, this is a great topic. The restaurant.
I don't want this to saw like a pinting party,
but my favorite restaurant will go on round because I
don't have a family to go to on greasepas and
taste even you know, the holidays are very depressing for
me and I used to you know this, They used
to be one in my neighborhood to oh for In fact,
(16:59):
I was in I was in the ground Rattle when
they came and proved it down. They wouldn't let anybody
finish their food. I don't know.
Speaker 1 (17:10):
You might say, you're getting you had your food in
front of you and they came in here and close
it down and they.
Speaker 6 (17:15):
Give it was it was four thirty thirteenth of oh four.
Speaker 2 (17:20):
That's a little bit.
Speaker 1 (17:24):
So these these weren't like the police, Glenn. These were
the people who were closing it.
Speaker 6 (17:31):
Were corporate monkey marcks.
Speaker 1 (17:34):
Die student ties. Glenn. By the way, have you heard
stories like that in your experienced.
Speaker 3 (17:45):
Reief I I unfortunately have not heard stories like that.
That's a new one for me. Yeah, so that's not
usually normal practice we we I if if we seek
stores closing, they usually happen at the end of the
night when there's no guest.
Speaker 5 (18:02):
Right.
Speaker 6 (18:04):
Yeah, Well that's a tough one.
Speaker 1 (18:05):
What's the future of ground Round if any I know
we mentioned that one today. Is that gone for good?
Speaker 5 (18:11):
Well?
Speaker 3 (18:13):
It probably is, but you know, there again, there might
be one or two that are trying to resurrect it.
It's it's going to be tough though, I mean, competition
in that space is very hard, and so if you're
a restaurant. You don't have something unique, you don't have
something that draws guests, and it's going to be tough
to bring that back.
Speaker 1 (18:32):
So so ground round was was I maybe I'm using
the wrong terminology here. Help me out. Family style restaurant, right,
family restaurant. Yes, kids, kids are welcome, So you could
go in there with your wife and you might have
a family with some kids next year. You knew, you
knew you took that chance. Did that hurt them or
(18:53):
I assumed that was the backbone of their their customer base?
Speaker 3 (18:59):
You No, it was, And I mean we still have lots.
I mean there's friendlies, right, there's lots of great family dining.
You think about Chili's, you think about Applebee's, you think
about you know, there's still chains out there that that
cater to that family dining experience. Still offer a little
bit of alcohol. Obviously they have a bar right for
the dads and the moms, but you know there's still
(19:19):
a place for those. But you've got you've got to
provide a great experience. You've got to provide something that's differentiated,
and you've got to provide something that's going to make
those guests come back or unfortunately again, competition is pretty stiff.
Speaker 1 (19:32):
Who's amongst those type restaurants, who's doing the best job
right now?
Speaker 2 (19:36):
In your opinion?
Speaker 3 (19:38):
Right now? Hands down, it's Chili's. You know, Chili's has
been able to not only keep the guests that remember
the Chilies of old. You know, you all know the jingle, right,
my baby back red jingle, but they've been able to
connect with the younger generation, the Gen z ers and
Gen xers. They're on TikTok on Instagram. They're showing, you know,
(19:59):
their appetite the plates where lots of kids can share
food and cheaply. They got a great ten ninety nine
deal that again screams value for folks that are you know,
they're looking at their wallets right now and saying, can
I go out? So Chili's is hitting on all cylinders
right now and doing a really great job in the
casual dining space.
Speaker 1 (20:16):
All right, Glenn, we're getting close to the news here.
You got another question of comment.
Speaker 6 (20:21):
Yeah, they have a first restaurant to give me a
braille menu. I still have a pro prosperity, even though
you know there's no more, there's no more.
Speaker 2 (20:30):
Okay, and good.
Speaker 6 (20:32):
Yeah, it was a traveling salesman in seventy three. We
went to the ground, round and framing him, and my
dad goes, do you guys throw tinut shells on the floor.
I'd kill my son if he did that.
Speaker 1 (20:43):
Yeah, that's what they did. That's what they did. All right, Glenn,
appreciate the call, have a good one. Talk to you soon.
We got to take quick break here. We'll see you Sunday,
See you Sunday, Glenn. We're got to take quick break
six one, seven, two, five, four, ten, thirty six one
seven ninety there's a restaurant up here. Again you probably
are always familiar with this. We call them the ninety nine.
(21:04):
Their still doing fine, right, that's right.
Speaker 3 (21:07):
They are very good.
Speaker 1 (21:10):
And they're not compete I don't know which ones compete
with which ones. When we talk about a chili's, are
they in the same space as in ninety nine or
is that a difference?
Speaker 2 (21:22):
Are they able to differentiate a different space?
Speaker 3 (21:25):
They're they're slightly differentiated, right, because again they're they they've
done a little bit broader of a menu. They're a
little bit different clientele. But you know, again, it's it's
their shades of Gray at that point.
Speaker 1 (21:38):
Gotcha, gotcha. My guest is the CEO of a company
called Bricks Holdings.
Speaker 2 (21:44):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (21:45):
They are bringing Friendlies and have brought Friendlies out of bankruptcy,
so they will be coming back. We can talk about
your favorite restaurants if you'd like six one seven, two,
five four, ten thirty and we have a line open
at six one seven nine to take a very quick
break here back on night side right after the news radio.
All right, let's keep rolling here. My guest is Sharif Mitt. Yes,
(22:08):
he's the CEO of Bricks Holdings. They're a company that
really deals with restaurants, restaurants in trouble, and sometimes they
invest they take a company out of bankruptcy, a restaurant
out of bankruptcy, as they're doing with Friendlies. You were
going to see a revival of Friendlies and that's going
to make a lot of people happy. There were so
(22:29):
many different restaurants we could talk about. If you want
to raise a restaurant or ask a question about what
it's fate, you were more than welcome. The only lines
open six one seven, nine, three one, ten thirty and
you do not have to leave it here to New England.
Speaker 2 (22:43):
Restaurants.
Speaker 1 (22:43):
You can call from whatever part of the country you
want you would like. We had a lot of calls
from New Hampshire last hour, and we had a check
in earlier with Lauriot in Idaho, and as I mentioned,
Joan in Alaska called, let's go next to John little
closer to home. My friend John is right here in Boston. John,
you were next, You're Aline Sharif Mitt, Yes, go right ahead, John.
Speaker 4 (23:05):
Yes, all right. One Shawn Howe Nihama, Yeah, how I
wanted to ask you if Ground Brown is back in Shrewsbury.
Is that correct Massachusetts?
Speaker 3 (23:17):
Yeah, yes, I think there's one back.
Speaker 4 (23:21):
I think they did. They bring back Bingo the clown
at that ground round that.
Speaker 3 (23:26):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (23:28):
He's an expert in but you're you're getting into the
weeds a little bit.
Speaker 4 (23:34):
Bingo the clown Stone And but you know what the
restaurant like.
Speaker 1 (23:38):
Bingo may have may be at the retirement home at
this point if he was working in ninety three, that
a lot of wear and tear on clowns.
Speaker 4 (23:46):
Yeah, yeah, I'm not actually I'm retired, but I'm still going.
But I mean, I'd like to see how Ad Johnson's
come back and uh, a good hot dog place like
Joe and Nemo's. Five hot dogs for a dollar?
Speaker 3 (24:00):
Oh there they have?
Speaker 4 (24:04):
How come no American food like hot dogs? There's nobody
really doing that. You know, hamburger joints all over, but
the hot dog is almost forgotten. A good hot dog,
the breadish toasted, a good quality bread, good quality.
Speaker 1 (24:15):
So that was Howard Johnson's. Well, boys, that was Howard Johnson's.
That that was their their I thought, best best menu
it him. Now, isn't there Joe and Nemo's when they
do the hot dog eating competition down in New York
every every Fourth of July.
Speaker 2 (24:31):
Is that a Joe and Nemo's location.
Speaker 4 (24:34):
No, I mean they were in Boston.
Speaker 1 (24:37):
Were in Boston. But what is the place where they
where they have where they gorged themselves with seventy five
hot dogs?
Speaker 3 (24:44):
That's that's Nathan's Coney Island.
Speaker 2 (24:46):
Nathan's.
Speaker 1 (24:46):
Okay, yeah, so they got hot dog places, Yeah, okay, Nathan's.
Speaker 2 (24:50):
On Coney Island.
Speaker 4 (24:51):
Nobody's taken up hot dogs in Boston area, you know,
really specializing in a good hot dog.
Speaker 1 (24:57):
I think I think that a lot of people are
kind of into healthier food john these days.
Speaker 2 (25:03):
I think that.
Speaker 4 (25:03):
Well, then me it could be a good quality with
you know, less preserve preservers and less processed gonna have
to be a bad.
Speaker 1 (25:13):
Maybe there's some well, well you got you got Solly's
out of you got Solli's out on Castle Island. That's
that's your hot dog, goat place, go to place.
Speaker 4 (25:23):
That's the only one I know of that's out of
the out of the way kind of down the cell Boston.
And by the way, Papa Gino's in Burlington, Massachusetts is
still open.
Speaker 2 (25:33):
One of those.
Speaker 1 (25:35):
So so I I assume sure in that situation, that
must be a franchise that has survived.
Speaker 2 (25:42):
Is that correct?
Speaker 6 (25:43):
They are?
Speaker 3 (25:44):
Yeah, there's there's still franchisees that, yes, operate their locations
and and there's still a franchise or there's still you know,
the owner of the brand. But yeah, those are all
owner operator.
Speaker 1 (25:54):
Those owner of So so those those are franchisees. How
do they get all of the ingredients and the type
of food that people come to expect from, whether it's
a ground round or a Papa Gino's.
Speaker 2 (26:09):
Once the big corporate corporation disappears.
Speaker 3 (26:13):
Well, no, there's there's still It's not like it disappears,
it just becomes a lot smaller, right, and so there's
still a group out there that helps support those franchisees.
They set up the supply contracts, they set up everything
that you know. Okay, individual unit needs to have absolutely.
Speaker 1 (26:29):
Got you, got you? Okay, Johnny got another question? If
not going to move here, go ahead.
Speaker 6 (26:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (26:34):
You think how Johnson could ever come back?
Speaker 2 (26:37):
I don't think so.
Speaker 1 (26:38):
The Orange don't.
Speaker 3 (26:40):
Yeah, I don't think. I think that one is a brand.
Speaker 4 (26:43):
People try to bring it back.
Speaker 3 (26:45):
Not that one. It's too far gone unfortunately.
Speaker 4 (26:48):
Oh yeah, I'd like to see that resurrected.
Speaker 6 (26:50):
That was a real icon.
Speaker 1 (26:51):
All right, John, appreciate you call. Thank you much, talk
talk soon, Thanks very much. Next up, we're gonna go
going to go to Linda in Worcester, Massachusetts. Into you
next on Night Side with Sharif Mit.
Speaker 9 (27:02):
Yes, go right ahead, Yes, thank you for taking my
Faltyan I would like to ask I would like to
ask scherif why restaurant food has to be so salty.
Speaker 1 (27:16):
Be so salty salty?
Speaker 3 (27:18):
Yeah, yes, that's a great question.
Speaker 9 (27:21):
Uh, I mean people don't want a lot of salt.
Can't take the salt out of the food. But if
you want more salt, you can always shake it on.
Speaker 1 (27:32):
Well, they may be a preservative aspect of that, doesn't
salt preserve food?
Speaker 2 (27:36):
I mean maybe some of the.
Speaker 9 (27:37):
Restaurants salt, and she preserved that much.
Speaker 1 (27:43):
Let's see what Sharif says Linda. We he have the complaints.
Let's let's get an answer for you.
Speaker 3 (27:49):
It shouldn't be that salty. So my my advice to
you is you're going to the wrong places. Uh. So
there's lots of better restaurants that don't pile on the salt.
I agree with you, there's no reason for it.
Speaker 8 (28:02):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (28:02):
And hopefully you'll you'll make it to a Friendly near
you because we don't use a lot of salt at all.
We allow the guests to put it out.
Speaker 9 (28:11):
I did used to like to go to go to Friendly.
I think the way they went wrong was when they
started making the menu too long, I started bringing in
other foods.
Speaker 4 (28:21):
I agree.
Speaker 9 (28:23):
Yes, when they were just the sandwich and the ice
cream and the burghers were delicious. That went very well.
But the last time, the last time I went to Pepperginos,
and I always liked Peppaginos. So the last time my
sister I went we had chicken palm and a pizza
(28:44):
slice of pizza and I said that was so salty
my mouth actually burned, and I said, you know, I'm
not coming.
Speaker 3 (28:51):
Back, all right, but there you go.
Speaker 9 (28:55):
I know that if you get things with a water cheese,
cheese is unfortunately pretty solved.
Speaker 6 (29:02):
It is.
Speaker 7 (29:03):
Yes, I don't know, and I don't.
Speaker 9 (29:05):
Know what kind of restaurants I'm gonna have to go to, Linda, What.
Speaker 2 (29:11):
What restaurants do you go to today? You know?
Speaker 7 (29:15):
What?
Speaker 2 (29:16):
What? What change do you like? What change do you like?
Speaker 1 (29:20):
Trying to get a question named with Linda's kind of
tough Linda, can you hear me?
Speaker 2 (29:24):
Yes?
Speaker 6 (29:25):
Not what?
Speaker 1 (29:27):
What? What restaurant chains do you like today? Are there
any out there you like?
Speaker 9 (29:35):
I can't think. Well, Texas Roadhouse isn't too bad. If
you get okay, you know the potato and mistake, it's
not too bad.
Speaker 2 (29:44):
It okay, that's good?
Speaker 1 (29:48):
Well, all right, all right, Linda gonna let you run
him up my brake, So I gotta let you go.
Thanks so much for calling, and we will always remember
Linda is a salty call caller. Thanks Linda, good night,
quick Break. Coming up, final segment with Sharif mid Yes,
(30:09):
the CEO of Bricks Holdings. They are bringing Friendlies back.
And I got to tell you something. I'm delighted because
that was one restaurant who was always clean. They had
a great reputation. I'm trying to remember. They had a
beautiful location on the turnpike where they were founded. Was
(30:29):
that Long Meadow or what town was that in? Someone
must remember they had these hedges that said Friendlies and
whenever you rode out on the pike, it up by Springfield.
Speaker 2 (30:39):
You saw that.
Speaker 1 (30:39):
You happen to remember that, Sharif.
Speaker 3 (30:41):
Or no, well, Wilmingham, Wilbraham.
Speaker 1 (30:46):
Wham yea Wilbraham, thank you. Okay, that's the that is
the Yeah, that's where they were founded. What did they
top out at in terms of restaurants around the country.
What was the biggest number they ever had?
Speaker 3 (31:00):
Oh boy, I think they were up to well over
six hundred seven hundred restaurants.
Speaker 2 (31:06):
Man, And they were when you guys.
Speaker 3 (31:09):
West As Ohio.
Speaker 1 (31:10):
Yeah, yeah, And you told me today, I think that
you're going to end up with getting about one hundred
and ten locations up and running. So let's wish all
the success where we got a bunch of phone callers
who want to talk to you. So we got one
segment and we'll let you go at midnight. I promised
this has been a great segment. I really do appreciate
(31:31):
the callers on some topics like this. We'll take a
quick break, coming right back on Nightside. Doreen will lead
us off. We got Michael, Jean and Jamie will get
you all on. I promise stay right there back on Nightside.
You're on night Side with Dan Ray on w Z
Boston's news radio. Back to the phones we go. My
(31:52):
guest is Sharif Mitt. Yes, he's the CEO of Bricks Holdings.
They are the company that's bringing Friendlies restaurants back to life.
And there are other restaurants that are trying to work
their way out of bankruptcy, and we mentioned some of
them earlier. Feel free to ask any question about any
restaurants you like. Let me go to Doreen. Doreen, welcome
(32:15):
you next time Nightsager righthead, Doreen.
Speaker 8 (32:17):
Hi, Dan and Charif's guest. My favorite I have to say,
and back in the day, I love Friendlies.
Speaker 3 (32:27):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (32:28):
You're talking to the guy that's going to be running
Friendlies here, so you go right ahead, and.
Speaker 4 (32:33):
He better.
Speaker 8 (32:36):
Put back on the menu line and raspberry Ricky hy Rickys.
Speaker 1 (32:44):
Yeah, okay, what about that cherif they coming back to
or no.
Speaker 3 (32:48):
Well, I'm in Raspberry. I will get that to my chef's,
my culinary team tomorrow.
Speaker 8 (32:56):
You know why because they were known to have the
best ones, and I always went in friendlies for the
great American sandwich and a raspberry Rookie and the best
location MEDSFID, Massachusetts.
Speaker 3 (33:18):
Very good. I love it, Thank you, thank you. It's
great to hear.
Speaker 8 (33:23):
I also loved the ninety nine restaurant. It caters to
everybody's needs.
Speaker 9 (33:29):
And plus the kids eat free when the Red Sox win.
Speaker 7 (33:33):
But tonight they lost.
Speaker 1 (33:35):
Yeah, there's no free free for ninety nine restaurant tonight,
that's for sure. Dorry, thank you much. Is always great
to hear your voice. We'll talk soon, okay, thank you.
All right, let me go to Gene in every Gene.
We gotta be quick because we're running out of time.
Speaker 10 (33:51):
Go right ahead, Gene, all right, thank you so well. No,
there were two places. I can't find a deli any
where anymore. Okay. I love the deli in the nice
comb beef sandwich.
Speaker 1 (34:05):
Yeah, well, deli, my guest is not a deli guy here,
just so you know, go ahead.
Speaker 10 (34:13):
And the other thing was in Boston on Cambridge Street,
near where I worked. There was a restaurant there and
all they cooked was Turkey's fresh turkeys. You could get
turkey sandwich, you could get turkey dinner with stuffing. That's
just Boston.
Speaker 1 (34:27):
Is that Boston Chicken you were talking about?
Speaker 10 (34:30):
No, it was another one, but that one was pretty
good at the time too.
Speaker 1 (34:33):
But what happened let me let me ask you, serif,
is Boston Chicken still around her? Has that gone the way?
Speaker 3 (34:42):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (34:42):
That was That was a decent restaurant. I thought.
Speaker 1 (34:46):
I thought Boston Chicken. I was surprised that didn't didn't last.
Speaker 10 (34:50):
It was a good yeah, but I do miss that
Turkey's restaurant. All they made was turkeys all day, Turkey sandwich, dinner.
I'm great, vegetable whatever you want so great fresh.
Speaker 1 (35:04):
Well, Gene, you know what, maybe the symbol is going
to call before the night is out and tell us
the name of it and refresh your recollection.
Speaker 2 (35:11):
I gotta keep v tea. You got a whole bunch
of you too.
Speaker 1 (35:15):
Let's go to Michael and Boston. Michael, you're next on Nightside.
Go right ahead. You're on with my guest Jarif mityas
the CEO of Bricks Holdings. They're bringing Friendlies out, the
reviving Friendlies. We're going to see more friendly restaurants. Go ahead,
good Michael.
Speaker 4 (35:30):
Good evening.
Speaker 5 (35:31):
I do have my favorite restaurants in Boston that are
in walking distance, and I like them for various reasons.
And I do remember Friendlies. I didn't eat there that much.
I drank there was ice cream, sodas. Maybe I don't
your menu, but I'm wondering with the new restaurants Friendlies,
(35:55):
how will it be different? How do you expect them
to continue? Is there a gimmick there? Are you going
to have drastically lower prices? Are you going to have
healthy health foods? Are you going to have what? What
will the menu be at the new Friendlies?
Speaker 3 (36:14):
Yeah, that's a great question. So I think what we're
what we're doing right now in our Friendlies restaurants is
it's a nod to the past. Right. So you heard
kind of the Great American sandwich that's that's on the
tuna roll that people loved, the you know, the the
you know the the the fribbles, right, where are the shakes?
The cone head Sundays. So those items that people loved
(36:36):
from the past, we have to retain, but we also
then add new. So to your point, we've added some
salads because some folks want to eat healthier. We've added
some you know, better entrees, right because people want to
have a little bit nicer meal. But still add an
affordable price. To your point, right, we're still got to
be able to be a family of four less than
(36:56):
one hundred dollars, right, and so you've got to be
able to they'll beat the people and meet the families
and make it a great place to bring your kids.
And so a nod to the past, with some additions
to the new, keeping it affordable, but always ensuring we
know who we are and where were Who we are
is a great family restaurant that serves amazing ice cream,
(37:17):
great burgers and sandwiches, and even our senior citizens discount
is back.
Speaker 1 (37:22):
So uniforms on the on the wait staff got to
be the same.
Speaker 3 (37:27):
Yeah, yeah, it's still a nod to the So there's
still missal.
Speaker 1 (37:32):
Right exactly, Michael, great, great questions, Michael, thank you.
Speaker 2 (37:36):
I got to keep rolling here.
Speaker 4 (37:37):
Okay, thank you, very good luck, thank you, you're welcome.
Speaker 1 (37:40):
Let me go to Jamie and Worcester. Jamie gonna get
you and one more in. Go ahead, Jamie, you're always shy,
Go right ahead.
Speaker 11 (37:46):
Okay, I'll be very saft. The one who Carl said
there is no good hot dog places anymore. I don't
know if you knows in the list of is Coney
Island hot and if you go where into Spencer is
hut on in Those are two places I've been around
for a long time.
Speaker 1 (38:03):
Well, I'm hoping that John from Boston has made a
note of that.
Speaker 2 (38:09):
That's that we have.
Speaker 1 (38:10):
We have Sully's out there on Castle Island, which is
known for its hot dogs, no doubt. That's one of
the first signs of spring when they open.
Speaker 11 (38:19):
Up right exactly and the other thing is out there.
The friendly is gonna come back for it all only
Western disappeared.
Speaker 3 (38:27):
Yeah, Unfortunately that store closed before we had a chance
to resurrect it. So we're we're looking at a lot
of news, a lot of more, lot more sites in
New England. We obviously know Massachusetts and the folks in
Massachusetts loved friendlies. A lot of them had to go
away during the bankruptcy. We're we're looking to bring back
a lot more Friendlies into Massachusetts.
Speaker 2 (38:49):
All right, it's good news.
Speaker 1 (38:50):
Good thanks, Jamie, appreciated last one of the night. Tim
got about thirty seconds for you. What can you do
with it, buddy?
Speaker 7 (38:58):
My favorite family you ever was a fishing a jig sandwich.
It was a fish sandwich, French fries.
Speaker 3 (39:04):
And coal flaw. And you got it on the what's
it's on the menu. It's on the menu.
Speaker 4 (39:13):
I can't wait. Do I miss that?
Speaker 1 (39:18):
All right?
Speaker 4 (39:18):
Well and.
Speaker 3 (39:22):
Perfect well you got you.
Speaker 1 (39:23):
Got one in Pboty right now, we're told Tim, so
it fairly close.
Speaker 3 (39:29):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, go to Peabty the fishing with jigs
on the menu.
Speaker 4 (39:37):
I can't wait.
Speaker 2 (39:38):
You got it.
Speaker 1 (39:39):
You got it, Jim. We'll see you Sunday. We'll see
you Sunday at the brunch. Thanks Tim, talk to you soon.
I enjoyed this very much. Sure if I want to
thank you for the time you spent tonight, and I
want to thank you for bringing back Friendlies website. Folks
can kind of keep track of the process here real quickly.
Speaker 2 (40:00):
I got about ten seconds left.
Speaker 3 (40:02):
Yeah, at Friendlies Restaurants dot Com.
Speaker 4 (40:05):
Just that's perfect.
Speaker 3 (40:06):
Come and join us.
Speaker 1 (40:08):
Sure if I enjoyed it immensely. Thank you so much.
We'll talk again. Okay, we'll keep in touch.
Speaker 2 (40:12):
Thank you very much. Rob Brooks.
Speaker 1 (40:14):
Great job, Marita, great job, good calls, good thanks to
the listeners. All dogs, all cats, all pets go to heaven.
That's my Pelle, Charlie Rays, who passed fifteen years ago
in February. That's why your pets are who have passed.
They loved you and you love them. I do believe
you'll see them again. We'll see you again tomorrow night.
I'll see you tomorrow night at eight Marina's here at
four point thirty Tomorrow afternoon, I will be on nightside
(40:34):
on Facebook. Nice out with Dan Ray in about a
couple of minutes.
Speaker 2 (40:37):
See you there,
It's nice with Dan on Dell Boston Radio.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
I just follow up last hour.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
I know that I was talking to Rob of the
Grand Wizard of Professional Wrestling, which we talked. We mentioned
him in passing in Joe and I'm a renaissance man
and that I follow lots of issues. But they say
that the only person whose intellect might have approached the
intellect of the Grand Wizard of Professional Wrestling was none
(00:30):
other than Albert Einstein. And there's a there's a debate
in the intellectual academic community as to who actually was
a you know, just had a higher IQ, the Grand
Wizard of Professional Wrestling or Albert Einstein. It can be
argued either way. But I just just would put the
the exclamation point on that we are changing topics and
(00:54):
we have Sharif Mit yes with us.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
Sharif.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
I don't know if you're a wrestling fan, but one
of our call his last hour told me that he
was driving he drives home every night, and he had
been at a show and so he mentioned that. I said, well,
what musical instrument. You know, most of these folks are
who listened to us, they they're musicians. And he said
that that he had been a he had been in
(01:17):
a participating in a wrestling show.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
Uh, and he.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
I asked him if he was a wrestling said he
was a wrestling manager. So obviously that immediately. I don't
know if you remember the grid Wizard of professional wrestling,
and I know that you're not prepared to talk about
this in any great detail, shearif because it's a little
off topic. But he was quite an intellect at his time,
that's for sure.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
How are you.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
Tonight, I'm doing great And I wrestled in high school,
but not not the not the w w ee kind.
Speaker 1 (01:50):
Yeah, well this was Yeah, the Grand Wizard was a
he was a manager, and uh he was.
Speaker 2 (01:58):
He was a brilliant tactician. Let me put it like that.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
You know, in his sports, there has never been has
never been touched by scandal, as one of my predecessors,
Eddie Andaman used to remind us.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
Which is true.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
It was never touched by any form of rigging or
scandal or anything like that.
Speaker 2 (02:13):
It's a lot of the other sports have had.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
You know, Baseball had their black socks scandal, and there's
been some college basketball scandals, and we remember Paul Horning
and Alex Carris, who who lost the year for some
and Pete Rose and all of that, but pro wrestling
has been, you know, a very upstanding sport in this country. Anyway,
there you go, Yeah, look up the Grand Wizard of
(02:38):
professional wrestling. You'll you'll understand this brilliance. That is not
what we're talking about. Uh Sharif bit Yes, I was
a guest of us earlier this week. He is the
CEO of a company called Bricks Holdings. And you're gonna say,
oh damn, we're doing some heavy duty economics. Yeah we are,
but it's interesting economics. Tell Bricks Holdings. What does your
(03:03):
company do?
Speaker 4 (03:06):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (03:06):
So we're a franchisor of eight restaurant brands. So we
have over three hundred locations and forty some states around
the country, and the one that your listeners will probably
know the most is the Friendlies chain Family Dining at
its best our ninetieth birthday this year. We still have
(03:27):
some great stores around Boston and Pembrooke and Norwood and
South Weymouth and a few other sites. But we've got
ninety two stores up and down the Eastern seaboard and
we love serving memories, as we call it, an ice cream.
Speaker 1 (03:43):
Another guests yeah, a lot of people. And by the way,
I should mention that you're not a Massachusetts native, but
you went to school here and graduated from Boston University
back in nineteen eighty nine, so you've been in this
business for a while. I want to talk about Friendlies
because Friendlies kind of disappeared here although I had was
(04:05):
red reminded. You know, Friendlies was founded in western New
England and I think it goes back to the nineteen
thirties if I'm not mistaken, and it was a it
was a standard restaurant here for most of my life,
and then it did enter bankruptcy.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
But you folks have.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
Taken them out of break bankruptcy and now Friendlies is
owned by your company, Bricks Holdings, and you're bringing them back,
and that's going to delight a lot of people.
Speaker 4 (04:33):
We are.
Speaker 3 (04:34):
We just thought when it was in bankruptcy, it was
just it was a brand that had too much still connection, right,
there were so many memories out there with guests that
we felt at the bones, so to speak of the
brand were so strong that we could bring it back.
And we're so excited to bring it back and to
grow this venerable chain again, to your point starting, you know,
(04:56):
nineteen thirty six, and so it's been around for so long,
and we just opened our latest new store down to Orlando, Florida,
brand new, beautiful store, and that we have many more
planned for the Eastern Seaboard.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
And the new incarnation. And I know it's a little
more complicated than that in the sense that Friendlies ran
into some trouble. A lot of these restaurants were in
into trouble in COVID times, and you folks have taken
(05:32):
a look at it, and there are still I think
you told me seventy franchise locations that are still operational,
and we now roll up the forty corporate locations. You're
going to have one hundred and ten approximately restaurants in
thirteen states, and the Friendlies will be back. I mean,
(05:56):
it's a great you know, it's it's it's a legacy restaurant,
and and when we lose restaurants like that, it's it's
a little frustrating. So, uh, let's let's talk about Friendlies.
But I also want to remind people, uh as we
talk today that COVID not only had an impact on Friendlies,
(06:20):
but Red Lobster t G I F. Friday's Buca di Beppa,
which is one of my favorites. Uh, a nationwide chain,
and you mentioned a couple of others on the border
and Hooters, which I know is a controversial restaurant that
that sort of lost. It's uh, it's panache, if you will.
(06:41):
But then you also mentioned, like someone just told me
that ground Round is back in business. There was I
got an email from a listener. But, uh, are there
any ground Round restaurants left as far as.
Speaker 3 (06:53):
You know, Well, yeah, I think there's there. There could
be the one that they're trying to resurrect. And so
there are some old brands out there. You mean, you
had Benegan's right, and you had Steak and Ale, and
there's these really old brands that people remember they unfortunately
died out, and you know, there's there's brave souls out
(07:14):
there that are trying to resurrect them. And it's it's
hard though. The restaurant business is tough.
Speaker 1 (07:19):
Yeah, you also just to sort of flesh out your
expertise in your background. There's a bunch of other restaurants
that that you folks run, and some of them I'm
familiar with, some of them, I'm not Orange Leaf, which
is a frozen yogurt restaurant, Red mango quean juice, which
(07:40):
I guess is organic juice, and that's down in the South.
Is it Super Salad that's a buffet restaurant, Super Salad.
Speaker 3 (07:48):
That's right, super solid yep. And then we have Smoothie
Factory plus kitchen yep, our smoothie concept.
Speaker 2 (07:56):
Yeah. Okay.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
So what I want to do when I come back,
I want to talk with you in greater depth and
I'm hoping callers will join us as to what restaurants
would they like to see come back, uh, and and
you would be able to give us some updates on them.
But I also want to talk to you about the
restaurant industry. And you know these these are chains which
(08:18):
a lot of the chains have survived. I mean McDonald's,
which give you give me a choice between going to
McDonald's and a Friendly's. I'm gonna pick Friendlies every day
of the week and twice on Sunday.
Speaker 5 (08:29):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (08:29):
And there's nothing, there's nothing to compare.
Speaker 6 (08:32):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
The only one that has come along recently that I
think is really a great, family style and inexpensive restaurant.
I like Olive Garden, but Chick fil A, which has
a little bit of controversy with it, but that's doing
gangbusters from what I understand.
Speaker 3 (08:51):
It really is. Yeah, they've they've kind of broken the formula,
so to speak. And uh, they're they're on a growth street.
Speaker 1 (08:58):
One other restaurant that I know a little bit about,
how is Popeye's doing. Is that on the upside or
is it slowing down?
Speaker 3 (09:08):
Well, you know, they they had a massive, let's call it,
social media introduction of their new chicken sandwich and they
were selling out within minutes. But this was, you know,
a couple of years ago, you know, so they're still
doing okay, you know, kind of riding that wave that
chicken is still a very hot cuisine type. As you
(09:29):
think about the wingstops of the world and the Chick
fil haze of the world, you know, chicken is something
that's really caught fire basically across the country and supporting
a lot of these chains.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
Yeah, a little more healthy than some of the some
of the meat products and all of that, So we
get that. But my guest is a Sharif Mitt. Yes,
he's the CEO of Brick Holdings. Bricks Holdings, which is
going to bring back Friendlies, the restaurant chain Friendlies, which
is going to emerge. Has it emerged already from bankruptcy
(10:02):
or was the process still underway?
Speaker 3 (10:04):
No, we emerged. We bought it out of bankruptcy back
in twenty twenty one, and so we're back on a
growth trajectory now, okay, and.
Speaker 1 (10:14):
You will have a footprint here in Massachusetts. I see
right now that you have one on Providence Highway, which
I think is in Denham. There's another one here. I'm
not sure what town. They give me the addresses, but
they don't give me the towns.
Speaker 3 (10:32):
What are some of the and Pembrooke and South Weymouth
and Norwood those we have four stores right now Massachusetts.
Speaker 1 (10:43):
Okay, Norwood is probably the Providence Highway address, that's right,
I know. Yeah, Okay, I see where that one is.
All right, We'll going to take a break if you
like to join the conversation and ask about a favorite
restaurant of viewers that you haven't seen. Look, I remember
when the last I think there's finally one Howard Johnson
(11:05):
that is still operational up in Maine, and that was
it's like, how do you mess up Howard Johnson's. But somehow,
some way it did it went out of business.
Speaker 5 (11:17):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (11:19):
You know, that was one that everybody in New England knew.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
At least I was.
Speaker 1 (11:24):
Very familiar with Howard Johnson's. It was like it was
it was like when you were going to go out
and have some fine dining, were you'd go to Howard Johnson's. Anyway,
if you like to join the conversation talking about restaurants
six one seven, two thirty six one seven, nine three,
ten thirty And I'll tell you when I talked earlier
(11:44):
today with my guests Shariff mitt Yes, I was asking
him about restaurants all over the country, and he has
a very good grasp on the uh the industry that
he is in, and his company basically brings restaurants back.
I hope you can bring Buca to Peppa back because
I loved that restaurant. I mean I loved. I loved
(12:08):
the lemon cellos for dessert. That's what I most loved.
Take a break, coming right back on Nightside, the only
lines open on six one seven.
Speaker 2 (12:20):
Back on Nightside right after this.
Speaker 4 (12:23):
It's night Side with Boston's News Radio.
Speaker 2 (12:38):
Our guest is Sharif Mityas Met.
Speaker 1 (12:40):
Yes, the CEO of Bricks Holdings, and amongst other things,
they are bringing friendlies back, Friendly's restaurants back to life.
Let's get to a phone call, see what people I
want to talk about. Let me go to Gary in Woburn, Massachusetts. Gary,
welcome first this hour and nightside right head Gary.
Speaker 7 (12:56):
My question is this is Papa is considered a rush?
Speaker 6 (13:00):
Thanks?
Speaker 1 (13:00):
Right?
Speaker 2 (13:02):
I considered a restaurant.
Speaker 1 (13:03):
Let's see what Scharife has to say because he can
and I guess Papa Gino's has also gone. Scharife, are
you familiar with Papa Gino's.
Speaker 3 (13:13):
I am yeah. And you know, basically, Gary, you know,
any we consider any place that gets out there and
serves guests food or beverage is a restaurant. Now, there's
lots of different things. There's quick serve restaurants, there's food trucks,
there's fast casual, there's fine dining, there's casual dining. But
they're all restaurants. If they serve food, we consider them.
(13:35):
You know, a place of an establishment that would be
termed a restaurant.
Speaker 7 (13:41):
Okay, we all know that pizza is a big favorite
among people. Of course, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday when they had
it for about five to seven years, Sharif, it was
the Ali can eat type of pizza in between four
and eight o'clock, which went for six dollars. Then it
went down to five dollars. Now they don't have it anymore.
And I don't know if you're familiar with that. When
(14:02):
they had the all you can eat for a Monday
to Wednesday.
Speaker 1 (14:06):
Yep, Well, I say, Gary, I thought Papa Gino's was gone.
They still Is there still a Papa Ginos that you
go into.
Speaker 6 (14:16):
Oh?
Speaker 7 (14:16):
Absolutely, they have them in the Hayrold, Massachusetts, Settle Mahantsta
and so top of them on that valley.
Speaker 1 (14:22):
Okay, so let me let me ask Shariff and stay
right there, Gary, Sharif, did Papa Ginos go through a
re York?
Speaker 3 (14:30):
They they did, but they're still around. Yeah, they're still operating.
And but Gary, your point, you know, you see a
lot of these folks now that I have to pull
back on some of these deals, right because we've all
been to the grocery store. We all see what's happening
on prices, and unfortunately, some of these restaurants run on
very thin margins, right, and so they're they're they're having
a balancing act. Right, They don't want to alienate their guests.
(14:53):
They want to make sure people come back and understand
they can get a good deal. But those all you
can eat That's what happened to Red Lobster, right, all
you can eat shrimp. They went into bankruptcy. And so
you've got to be careful in terms of just giving
too much away while still providing great value for your guests.
Speaker 7 (15:14):
Okay, and before I let you go, both co I
went to Florida twenty years ago, just give me a
little trivia questions. It was McDonald's six o'clock on a
Friday night.
Speaker 6 (15:22):
Who was there?
Speaker 7 (15:23):
The customers and the workers, But was there anybody else there?
Speaker 8 (15:27):
No?
Speaker 7 (15:27):
And you know the reason why you can go anywhere
in Florida at six o'clock. And there was only me
and my girlfriend at six o'clock on a Friday night
in Florida.
Speaker 1 (15:37):
Which, okay, we lost care there. I don't know what
that story of what relevance that story had, but it
was an interesting story.
Speaker 2 (15:46):
I guess the Early Broode special was over.
Speaker 3 (15:49):
Right.
Speaker 1 (15:51):
Let's go next to Glenn in Brighton, Massachusetts. Glenn, I
don't know if you listened earlier, but Joan from Alaska
called in and she she mentioned your name, by the way, Oh.
Speaker 6 (16:02):
I didn't while I was taking an app earlier.
Speaker 2 (16:04):
Well, you gotta, you gotta listen.
Speaker 1 (16:06):
Then to the eleven o'clock to the ten o'clock hour,
Joan from a last was talking about a program she
is involved with in which she volunteers to help people
who are non sighted or blind whichever you know word phase.
I know you take the word blind and use that
and we're going to do something to us in service. Yeah,
so she was she mentioned so she said that this
(16:29):
is a great program. We will talk about it sometimes.
If not tomorrow night, we'll talk about it sometime next week.
You're on with my guest, Shariff mid Yes, the CEO
of Bricks Holdings.
Speaker 6 (16:39):
What's your question, Glenn, this is a great topic. The restaurant.
I don't want this to saw like a pinting party,
but my favorite restaurant will go on round because I
don't have a family to go to on greasepas and
taste even you know, the holidays are very depressing for
me and I used to you know this, They used
to be one in my neighborhood to oh for In fact,
(16:59):
I was in I was in the ground Rattle when
they came and proved it down. They wouldn't let anybody
finish their food. I don't know.
Speaker 1 (17:10):
You might say, you're getting you had your food in
front of you and they came in here and close
it down and they.
Speaker 6 (17:15):
Give it was it was four thirty thirteenth of oh four.
Speaker 2 (17:20):
That's a little bit.
Speaker 1 (17:24):
So these these weren't like the police, Glenn. These were
the people who were closing it.
Speaker 6 (17:31):
Were corporate monkey marcks.
Speaker 1 (17:34):
Die student ties. Glenn. By the way, have you heard
stories like that in your experienced.
Speaker 3 (17:45):
Reief I I unfortunately have not heard stories like that.
That's a new one for me. Yeah, so that's not
usually normal practice we we I if if we seek
stores closing, they usually happen at the end of the
night when there's no guest.
Speaker 5 (18:02):
Right.
Speaker 6 (18:04):
Yeah, Well that's a tough one.
Speaker 1 (18:05):
What's the future of ground Round if any I know
we mentioned that one today. Is that gone for good?
Speaker 5 (18:11):
Well?
Speaker 3 (18:13):
It probably is, but you know, there again, there might
be one or two that are trying to resurrect it.
It's it's going to be tough though, I mean, competition
in that space is very hard, and so if you're
a restaurant. You don't have something unique, you don't have
something that draws guests, and it's going to be tough
to bring that back.
Speaker 1 (18:32):
So so ground round was was I maybe I'm using
the wrong terminology here. Help me out. Family style restaurant, right,
family restaurant. Yes, kids, kids are welcome, So you could
go in there with your wife and you might have
a family with some kids next year. You knew, you
knew you took that chance. Did that hurt them or
(18:53):
I assumed that was the backbone of their their customer base?
Speaker 3 (18:59):
You No, it was, And I mean we still have lots.
I mean there's friendlies, right, there's lots of great family dining.
You think about Chili's, you think about Applebee's, you think
about you know, there's still chains out there that that
cater to that family dining experience. Still offer a little
bit of alcohol. Obviously they have a bar right for
the dads and the moms, but you know there's still
(19:19):
a place for those. But you've got you've got to
provide a great experience. You've got to provide something that's differentiated,
and you've got to provide something that's going to make
those guests come back or unfortunately again, competition is pretty stiff.
Speaker 1 (19:32):
Who's amongst those type restaurants, who's doing the best job
right now?
Speaker 2 (19:36):
In your opinion?
Speaker 3 (19:38):
Right now? Hands down, it's Chili's. You know, Chili's has
been able to not only keep the guests that remember
the Chilies of old. You know, you all know the jingle, right,
my baby back red jingle, but they've been able to
connect with the younger generation, the Gen z ers and
Gen xers. They're on TikTok on Instagram. They're showing, you know,
(19:59):
their appetite the plates where lots of kids can share
food and cheaply. They got a great ten ninety nine
deal that again screams value for folks that are you know,
they're looking at their wallets right now and saying, can
I go out? So Chili's is hitting on all cylinders
right now and doing a really great job in the
casual dining space.
Speaker 1 (20:16):
All right, Glenn, we're getting close to the news here.
You got another question of comment.
Speaker 6 (20:21):
Yeah, they have a first restaurant to give me a
braille menu. I still have a pro prosperity, even though
you know there's no more, there's no more.
Speaker 2 (20:30):
Okay, and good.
Speaker 6 (20:32):
Yeah, it was a traveling salesman in seventy three. We
went to the ground, round and framing him, and my
dad goes, do you guys throw tinut shells on the floor.
I'd kill my son if he did that.
Speaker 1 (20:43):
Yeah, that's what they did. That's what they did. All right, Glenn,
appreciate the call, have a good one. Talk to you soon.
We got to take quick break here. We'll see you Sunday,
See you Sunday, Glenn. We're got to take quick break
six one, seven, two, five, four, ten, thirty six one
seven ninety there's a restaurant up here. Again you probably
are always familiar with this. We call them the ninety nine.
(21:04):
Their still doing fine, right, that's right.
Speaker 3 (21:07):
They are very good.
Speaker 1 (21:10):
And they're not compete I don't know which ones compete
with which ones. When we talk about a chili's, are
they in the same space as in ninety nine or
is that a difference?
Speaker 2 (21:22):
Are they able to differentiate a different space?
Speaker 3 (21:25):
They're they're slightly differentiated, right, because again they're they they've
done a little bit broader of a menu. They're a
little bit different clientele. But you know, again, it's it's
their shades of Gray at that point.
Speaker 1 (21:38):
Gotcha, gotcha. My guest is the CEO of a company
called Bricks Holdings.
Speaker 2 (21:44):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (21:45):
They are bringing Friendlies and have brought Friendlies out of bankruptcy,
so they will be coming back. We can talk about
your favorite restaurants if you'd like six one seven, two,
five four, ten thirty and we have a line open
at six one seven nine to take a very quick
break here back on night side right after the news radio.
All right, let's keep rolling here. My guest is Sharif Mitt. Yes,
(22:08):
he's the CEO of Bricks Holdings. They're a company that
really deals with restaurants, restaurants in trouble, and sometimes they
invest they take a company out of bankruptcy, a restaurant
out of bankruptcy, as they're doing with Friendlies. You were
going to see a revival of Friendlies and that's going
to make a lot of people happy. There were so
(22:29):
many different restaurants we could talk about. If you want
to raise a restaurant or ask a question about what
it's fate, you were more than welcome. The only lines
open six one seven, nine, three one, ten thirty and
you do not have to leave it here to New England.
Speaker 2 (22:43):
Restaurants.
Speaker 1 (22:43):
You can call from whatever part of the country you
want you would like. We had a lot of calls
from New Hampshire last hour, and we had a check
in earlier with Lauriot in Idaho, and as I mentioned,
Joan in Alaska called, let's go next to John little
closer to home. My friend John is right here in Boston. John,
you were next, You're Aline Sharif Mitt, Yes, go right ahead, John.
Speaker 4 (23:05):
Yes, all right. One Shawn Howe Nihama, Yeah, how I
wanted to ask you if Ground Brown is back in Shrewsbury.
Is that correct Massachusetts?
Speaker 3 (23:17):
Yeah, yes, I think there's one back.
Speaker 4 (23:21):
I think they did. They bring back Bingo the clown
at that ground round that.
Speaker 3 (23:26):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (23:28):
He's an expert in but you're you're getting into the
weeds a little bit.
Speaker 4 (23:34):
Bingo the clown Stone And but you know what the
restaurant like.
Speaker 1 (23:38):
Bingo may have may be at the retirement home at
this point if he was working in ninety three, that
a lot of wear and tear on clowns.
Speaker 4 (23:46):
Yeah, yeah, I'm not actually I'm retired, but I'm still going.
But I mean, I'd like to see how Ad Johnson's
come back and uh, a good hot dog place like
Joe and Nemo's. Five hot dogs for a dollar?
Speaker 3 (24:00):
Oh there they have?
Speaker 4 (24:04):
How come no American food like hot dogs? There's nobody
really doing that. You know, hamburger joints all over, but
the hot dog is almost forgotten. A good hot dog,
the breadish toasted, a good quality bread, good quality.
Speaker 1 (24:15):
So that was Howard Johnson's. Well, boys, that was Howard Johnson's.
That that was their their I thought, best best menu
it him. Now, isn't there Joe and Nemo's when they
do the hot dog eating competition down in New York
every every Fourth of July.
Speaker 2 (24:31):
Is that a Joe and Nemo's location.
Speaker 4 (24:34):
No, I mean they were in Boston.
Speaker 1 (24:37):
Were in Boston. But what is the place where they
where they have where they gorged themselves with seventy five
hot dogs?
Speaker 3 (24:44):
That's that's Nathan's Coney Island.
Speaker 2 (24:46):
Nathan's.
Speaker 1 (24:46):
Okay, yeah, so they got hot dog places, Yeah, okay, Nathan's.
Speaker 2 (24:50):
On Coney Island.
Speaker 4 (24:51):
Nobody's taken up hot dogs in Boston area, you know,
really specializing in a good hot dog.
Speaker 1 (24:57):
I think I think that a lot of people are
kind of into healthier food john these days.
Speaker 2 (25:03):
I think that.
Speaker 4 (25:03):
Well, then me it could be a good quality with
you know, less preserve preservers and less processed gonna have
to be a bad.
Speaker 1 (25:13):
Maybe there's some well, well you got you got Solly's
out of you got Solli's out on Castle Island. That's
that's your hot dog, goat place, go to place.
Speaker 4 (25:23):
That's the only one I know of that's out of
the out of the way kind of down the cell Boston.
And by the way, Papa Gino's in Burlington, Massachusetts is
still open.
Speaker 2 (25:33):
One of those.
Speaker 1 (25:35):
So so I I assume sure in that situation, that
must be a franchise that has survived.
Speaker 2 (25:42):
Is that correct?
Speaker 6 (25:43):
They are?
Speaker 3 (25:44):
Yeah, there's there's still franchisees that, yes, operate their locations
and and there's still a franchise or there's still you know,
the owner of the brand. But yeah, those are all
owner operator.
Speaker 1 (25:54):
Those owner of So so those those are franchisees. How
do they get all of the ingredients and the type
of food that people come to expect from, whether it's
a ground round or a Papa Gino's.
Speaker 2 (26:09):
Once the big corporate corporation disappears.
Speaker 3 (26:13):
Well, no, there's there's still It's not like it disappears,
it just becomes a lot smaller, right, and so there's
still a group out there that helps support those franchisees.
They set up the supply contracts, they set up everything
that you know. Okay, individual unit needs to have absolutely.
Speaker 1 (26:29):
Got you, got you? Okay, Johnny got another question? If
not going to move here, go ahead.
Speaker 6 (26:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (26:34):
You think how Johnson could ever come back?
Speaker 2 (26:37):
I don't think so.
Speaker 1 (26:38):
The Orange don't.
Speaker 3 (26:40):
Yeah, I don't think. I think that one is a brand.
Speaker 4 (26:43):
People try to bring it back.
Speaker 3 (26:45):
Not that one. It's too far gone unfortunately.
Speaker 4 (26:48):
Oh yeah, I'd like to see that resurrected.
Speaker 6 (26:50):
That was a real icon.
Speaker 1 (26:51):
All right, John, appreciate you call. Thank you much, talk
talk soon, Thanks very much. Next up, we're gonna go
going to go to Linda in Worcester, Massachusetts. Into you
next on Night Side with Sharif Mit.
Speaker 9 (27:02):
Yes, go right ahead, Yes, thank you for taking my
Faltyan I would like to ask I would like to
ask scherif why restaurant food has to be so salty.
Speaker 1 (27:16):
Be so salty salty?
Speaker 3 (27:18):
Yeah, yes, that's a great question.
Speaker 9 (27:21):
Uh, I mean people don't want a lot of salt.
Can't take the salt out of the food. But if
you want more salt, you can always shake it on.
Speaker 1 (27:32):
Well, they may be a preservative aspect of that, doesn't
salt preserve food?
Speaker 2 (27:36):
I mean maybe some of the.
Speaker 9 (27:37):
Restaurants salt, and she preserved that much.
Speaker 1 (27:43):
Let's see what Sharif says Linda. We he have the complaints.
Let's let's get an answer for you.
Speaker 3 (27:49):
It shouldn't be that salty. So my my advice to
you is you're going to the wrong places. Uh. So
there's lots of better restaurants that don't pile on the salt.
I agree with you, there's no reason for it.
Speaker 8 (28:02):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (28:02):
And hopefully you'll you'll make it to a Friendly near
you because we don't use a lot of salt at all.
We allow the guests to put it out.
Speaker 9 (28:11):
I did used to like to go to go to Friendly.
I think the way they went wrong was when they
started making the menu too long, I started bringing in
other foods.
Speaker 4 (28:21):
I agree.
Speaker 9 (28:23):
Yes, when they were just the sandwich and the ice
cream and the burghers were delicious. That went very well.
But the last time, the last time I went to Pepperginos,
and I always liked Peppaginos. So the last time my
sister I went we had chicken palm and a pizza
(28:44):
slice of pizza and I said that was so salty
my mouth actually burned, and I said, you know, I'm
not coming.
Speaker 3 (28:51):
Back, all right, but there you go.
Speaker 9 (28:55):
I know that if you get things with a water cheese,
cheese is unfortunately pretty solved.
Speaker 6 (29:02):
It is.
Speaker 7 (29:03):
Yes, I don't know, and I don't.
Speaker 9 (29:05):
Know what kind of restaurants I'm gonna have to go to, Linda, What.
Speaker 2 (29:11):
What restaurants do you go to today? You know?
Speaker 7 (29:15):
What?
Speaker 2 (29:16):
What? What change do you like? What change do you like?
Speaker 1 (29:20):
Trying to get a question named with Linda's kind of
tough Linda, can you hear me?
Speaker 2 (29:24):
Yes?
Speaker 6 (29:25):
Not what?
Speaker 1 (29:27):
What? What restaurant chains do you like today? Are there
any out there you like?
Speaker 9 (29:35):
I can't think. Well, Texas Roadhouse isn't too bad. If
you get okay, you know the potato and mistake, it's
not too bad.
Speaker 2 (29:44):
It okay, that's good?
Speaker 1 (29:48):
Well, all right, all right, Linda gonna let you run
him up my brake, So I gotta let you go.
Thanks so much for calling, and we will always remember
Linda is a salty call caller. Thanks Linda, good night,
quick Break. Coming up, final segment with Sharif mid Yes,
(30:09):
the CEO of Bricks Holdings. They are bringing Friendlies back.
And I got to tell you something. I'm delighted because
that was one restaurant who was always clean. They had
a great reputation. I'm trying to remember. They had a
beautiful location on the turnpike where they were founded. Was
(30:29):
that Long Meadow or what town was that in? Someone
must remember they had these hedges that said Friendlies and
whenever you rode out on the pike, it up by Springfield.
Speaker 2 (30:39):
You saw that.
Speaker 1 (30:39):
You happen to remember that, Sharif.
Speaker 3 (30:41):
Or no, well, Wilmingham, Wilbraham.
Speaker 1 (30:46):
Wham yea Wilbraham, thank you. Okay, that's the that is
the Yeah, that's where they were founded. What did they
top out at in terms of restaurants around the country.
What was the biggest number they ever had?
Speaker 3 (31:00):
Oh boy, I think they were up to well over
six hundred seven hundred restaurants.
Speaker 2 (31:06):
Man, And they were when you guys.
Speaker 3 (31:09):
West As Ohio.
Speaker 1 (31:10):
Yeah, yeah, And you told me today, I think that
you're going to end up with getting about one hundred
and ten locations up and running. So let's wish all
the success where we got a bunch of phone callers
who want to talk to you. So we got one
segment and we'll let you go at midnight. I promised
this has been a great segment. I really do appreciate
(31:31):
the callers on some topics like this. We'll take a
quick break, coming right back on Nightside. Doreen will lead
us off. We got Michael, Jean and Jamie will get
you all on. I promise stay right there back on Nightside.
You're on night Side with Dan Ray on w Z
Boston's news radio. Back to the phones we go. My
(31:52):
guest is Sharif Mitt. Yes, he's the CEO of Bricks Holdings.
They are the company that's bringing Friendlies restaurants back to life.
And there are other restaurants that are trying to work
their way out of bankruptcy, and we mentioned some of
them earlier. Feel free to ask any question about any
restaurants you like. Let me go to Doreen. Doreen, welcome
(32:15):
you next time Nightsager righthead, Doreen.
Speaker 8 (32:17):
Hi, Dan and Charif's guest. My favorite I have to say,
and back in the day, I love Friendlies.
Speaker 3 (32:27):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (32:28):
You're talking to the guy that's going to be running
Friendlies here, so you go right ahead, and.
Speaker 4 (32:33):
He better.
Speaker 8 (32:36):
Put back on the menu line and raspberry Ricky hy Rickys.
Speaker 1 (32:44):
Yeah, okay, what about that cherif they coming back to
or no.
Speaker 3 (32:48):
Well, I'm in Raspberry. I will get that to my chef's,
my culinary team tomorrow.
Speaker 8 (32:56):
You know why because they were known to have the
best ones, and I always went in friendlies for the
great American sandwich and a raspberry Rookie and the best
location MEDSFID, Massachusetts.
Speaker 3 (33:18):
Very good. I love it, Thank you, thank you. It's
great to hear.
Speaker 8 (33:23):
I also loved the ninety nine restaurant. It caters to
everybody's needs.
Speaker 9 (33:29):
And plus the kids eat free when the Red Sox win.
Speaker 7 (33:33):
But tonight they lost.
Speaker 1 (33:35):
Yeah, there's no free free for ninety nine restaurant tonight,
that's for sure. Dorry, thank you much. Is always great
to hear your voice. We'll talk soon, okay, thank you.
All right, let me go to Gene in every Gene.
We gotta be quick because we're running out of time.
Speaker 10 (33:51):
Go right ahead, Gene, all right, thank you so well. No,
there were two places. I can't find a deli any
where anymore. Okay. I love the deli in the nice
comb beef sandwich.
Speaker 1 (34:05):
Yeah, well, deli, my guest is not a deli guy here,
just so you know, go ahead.
Speaker 10 (34:13):
And the other thing was in Boston on Cambridge Street,
near where I worked. There was a restaurant there and
all they cooked was Turkey's fresh turkeys. You could get
turkey sandwich, you could get turkey dinner with stuffing. That's
just Boston.
Speaker 1 (34:27):
Is that Boston Chicken you were talking about?
Speaker 10 (34:30):
No, it was another one, but that one was pretty
good at the time too.
Speaker 1 (34:33):
But what happened let me let me ask you, serif,
is Boston Chicken still around her? Has that gone the way?
Speaker 3 (34:42):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (34:42):
That was That was a decent restaurant. I thought.
Speaker 1 (34:46):
I thought Boston Chicken. I was surprised that didn't didn't last.
Speaker 10 (34:50):
It was a good yeah, but I do miss that
Turkey's restaurant. All they made was turkeys all day, Turkey sandwich, dinner.
I'm great, vegetable whatever you want so great fresh.
Speaker 1 (35:04):
Well, Gene, you know what, maybe the symbol is going
to call before the night is out and tell us
the name of it and refresh your recollection.
Speaker 2 (35:11):
I gotta keep v tea. You got a whole bunch
of you too.
Speaker 1 (35:15):
Let's go to Michael and Boston. Michael, you're next on Nightside.
Go right ahead. You're on with my guest Jarif mityas
the CEO of Bricks Holdings. They're bringing Friendlies out, the
reviving Friendlies. We're going to see more friendly restaurants. Go ahead,
good Michael.
Speaker 4 (35:30):
Good evening.
Speaker 5 (35:31):
I do have my favorite restaurants in Boston that are
in walking distance, and I like them for various reasons.
And I do remember Friendlies. I didn't eat there that much.
I drank there was ice cream, sodas. Maybe I don't
your menu, but I'm wondering with the new restaurants Friendlies,
(35:55):
how will it be different? How do you expect them
to continue? Is there a gimmick there? Are you going
to have drastically lower prices? Are you going to have
healthy health foods? Are you going to have what? What
will the menu be at the new Friendlies?
Speaker 3 (36:14):
Yeah, that's a great question. So I think what we're
what we're doing right now in our Friendlies restaurants is
it's a nod to the past. Right. So you heard
kind of the Great American sandwich that's that's on the
tuna roll that people loved, the you know, the the
you know the the the fribbles, right, where are the shakes?
The cone head Sundays. So those items that people loved
(36:36):
from the past, we have to retain, but we also
then add new. So to your point, we've added some
salads because some folks want to eat healthier. We've added
some you know, better entrees, right because people want to
have a little bit nicer meal. But still add an
affordable price. To your point, right, we're still got to
be able to be a family of four less than
(36:56):
one hundred dollars, right, and so you've got to be
able to they'll beat the people and meet the families
and make it a great place to bring your kids.
And so a nod to the past, with some additions
to the new, keeping it affordable, but always ensuring we
know who we are and where were Who we are
is a great family restaurant that serves amazing ice cream,
(37:17):
great burgers and sandwiches, and even our senior citizens discount
is back.
Speaker 1 (37:22):
So uniforms on the on the wait staff got to
be the same.
Speaker 3 (37:27):
Yeah, yeah, it's still a nod to the So there's
still missal.
Speaker 1 (37:32):
Right exactly, Michael, great, great questions, Michael, thank you.
Speaker 2 (37:36):
I got to keep rolling here.
Speaker 4 (37:37):
Okay, thank you, very good luck, thank you, you're welcome.
Speaker 1 (37:40):
Let me go to Jamie and Worcester. Jamie gonna get
you and one more in. Go ahead, Jamie, you're always shy,
Go right ahead.
Speaker 11 (37:46):
Okay, I'll be very saft. The one who Carl said
there is no good hot dog places anymore. I don't
know if you knows in the list of is Coney
Island hot and if you go where into Spencer is
hut on in Those are two places I've been around
for a long time.
Speaker 1 (38:03):
Well, I'm hoping that John from Boston has made a
note of that.
Speaker 2 (38:09):
That's that we have.
Speaker 1 (38:10):
We have Sully's out there on Castle Island, which is
known for its hot dogs, no doubt. That's one of
the first signs of spring when they open.
Speaker 11 (38:19):
Up right exactly and the other thing is out there.
The friendly is gonna come back for it all only
Western disappeared.
Speaker 3 (38:27):
Yeah, Unfortunately that store closed before we had a chance
to resurrect it. So we're we're looking at a lot
of news, a lot of more, lot more sites in
New England. We obviously know Massachusetts and the folks in
Massachusetts loved friendlies. A lot of them had to go
away during the bankruptcy. We're we're looking to bring back
a lot more Friendlies into Massachusetts.
Speaker 2 (38:49):
All right, it's good news.
Speaker 1 (38:50):
Good thanks, Jamie, appreciated last one of the night. Tim
got about thirty seconds for you. What can you do
with it, buddy?
Speaker 7 (38:58):
My favorite family you ever was a fishing a jig sandwich.
It was a fish sandwich, French fries.
Speaker 3 (39:04):
And coal flaw. And you got it on the what's
it's on the menu. It's on the menu.
Speaker 4 (39:13):
I can't wait. Do I miss that?
Speaker 1 (39:18):
All right?
Speaker 4 (39:18):
Well and.
Speaker 3 (39:22):
Perfect well you got you.
Speaker 1 (39:23):
Got one in Pboty right now, we're told Tim, so
it fairly close.
Speaker 3 (39:29):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, go to Peabty the fishing with jigs
on the menu.
Speaker 4 (39:37):
I can't wait.
Speaker 2 (39:38):
You got it.
Speaker 1 (39:39):
You got it, Jim. We'll see you Sunday. We'll see
you Sunday at the brunch. Thanks Tim, talk to you soon.
I enjoyed this very much. Sure if I want to
thank you for the time you spent tonight, and I
want to thank you for bringing back Friendlies website. Folks
can kind of keep track of the process here real quickly.
Speaker 2 (40:00):
I got about ten seconds left.
Speaker 3 (40:02):
Yeah, at Friendlies Restaurants dot Com.
Speaker 4 (40:05):
Just that's perfect.
Speaker 3 (40:06):
Come and join us.
Speaker 1 (40:08):
Sure if I enjoyed it immensely. Thank you so much.
We'll talk again. Okay, we'll keep in touch.
Speaker 2 (40:12):
Thank you very much. Rob Brooks.
Speaker 1 (40:14):
Great job, Marita, great job, good calls, good thanks to
the listeners. All dogs, all cats, all pets go to heaven.
That's my Pelle, Charlie Rays, who passed fifteen years ago
in February. That's why your pets are who have passed.
They loved you and you love them. I do believe
you'll see them again. We'll see you again tomorrow night.
I'll see you tomorrow night at eight Marina's here at
four point thirty Tomorrow afternoon, I will be on nightside
(40:34):
on Facebook. Nice out with Dan Ray in about a
couple of minutes.
Speaker 2 (40:37):
See you there,
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