A Friendly Beginning: How Wilbraham Became the Heart of Friendly’s

Friendly’s traces its origins to 1935, when brothers Prestley and Curtis Blake opened a small ice cream shop in Springfield, Massachusetts, during the hard years of the Great Depression. They named their shop “Friendly” and sold double-dip ice cream cones for just five cents each. The combination of quality, affordability, and genuine friendliness quickly won over local customers.

By 1940, the Blakes opened a second shop in West Springfield and began expanding their menu beyond ice cream. When World War II broke out, they temporarily closed their stores but reopened after the war to continue building on their early success.

Growth came steadily. By 1951, Friendly’s had expanded to ten locations across Connecticut and western Massachusetts. As the company flourished, it relocated its headquarters and production plant from Springfield to Wilbraham in 1960, employing about one hundred people. The move marked the beginning of a new era for the company and for the town that would soon become synonymous with the Friendly’s name.

A Friendly Ice Cream store was also built on the grounds of the company’s Wilbraham plant. For many local families, it became a favorite gathering spot. As a child, it was a special treat to visit the shop, enjoying a sandwich and your favorite ice cream flavor just steps from where it was made.

By 1974, the chain had grown to more than 500 restaurants across the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Midwest. That same year, a new food processing and distribution facility opened in Troy, Ohio, to help support its expanding operations.

One of Friendly’s most beloved landmarks is the large shrubbery sign that proudly overlooks the Massachusetts Turnpike in Wilbraham. Although the Turnpike opened in 1957, the famous “Friendly’s” greenery didn’t appear until 1972, just a few miles from the company’s headquarters and ice cream plant. By 1974, the shrubs had reached full maturity, becoming a distinctive symbol of both the company and its hometown.

The idea for the sign came from Friendly’s founders, Prestley and Curtis Blake. They envisioned it as a creative expression of hometown pride and a clever form of marketing during a time when billboard advertising was restricted along interstate highways.

To bring their vision to life, Friendly’s staff carefully sculpted the hillside, reshaping the slope four times until they achieved perfect drainage and visibility from the Turnpike below. Japanese spreading yews were chosen for the letters because they are hardy, slow-growing, and maintain a rich green color year-round. Planted just 1.5 feet apart and trimmed to about 2.5 feet high, the yews were arranged to spell out “Friendly Ice Cream” in the company’s signature rounded script. Behind the “Welcome to Wilbraham” section, a backdrop of 12-foot Canadian hemlocks, spaced four feet apart, adds depth and contrast to the living design.

For generations of westbound travelers, the lush green letters have been more than a roadside curiosity. The familiar Friendly’s sign has become a cherished landmark, a warm, leafy reminder that they were nearing home, and that Wilbraham was truly the heart of Friendly’s.

The famous Friendly’s shrubbery sign overlooking the Massachusetts Turnpike in Wilbraham, 1977

Friendly's plant, along with its store, in 1963