Over at Slate, novelist Nicholson Baker bemoaned the “sad news” that Friendly’s may consider filing for bankruptcy–giving readers a peek at his writing process at the same time.
Baker is the author of House of Holes, Human Smoke, Checkpoint and many other books. It turns out that the novelist used Friendly’s as one of his favorite editing spots.
Baker explained in the article: “In the sixties and seventies Friendly’s mostly served its cheeseburgers on toast, not on buns—the toast is what made them so good. I’ve done many hours of rewriting at Friendly’s. (Also, have to say, at Panera and Starbucks and other places.) I’m always happy when I see the green Friendly’s topiary sign on the Mass Pike. Let’s hope they close some stores and emerge stronger.”