On Monday September 19, 2011 Friendly’s released its newest promotional menu, the “High 5” menu. This menu offers five mouthwatering entrees for only $5 and if that wasn’t enough for you, then for an additional $5 you can upgrade to a “double high five”. That’s an entrée, drink and happy ending sundae for the amazingly affordable price of only $10. If that still isn’t enough for you, not only is the menu new but changes have also been made to the workers and Friendly’s policies trying to better guest relations and satisfaction.
In preparation for the onslaught of potential business that the company was hoping the new menu would bring in, each story had a meeting with their district manager and all the employees to talk about the new menu, policies, etc. Being a “lead cook” for the Ware Friendly’s I of course was in attendance. A two hour meeting of instructional videos on how to high five, quizzes on now policies, and ridiculous new standard was the result.
“Friendly’s is no longer paying you to do work, you’re being paid to have fun,” said our district manager. Laughter burst out right away at the ridiculousness of the statement. He immediately followed by telling us cooks that our food was now required to be out 2 minutes faster at each meal time. “So I actually have to work harder then? Doesn’t sound fun to me,” remarked one of the grill cooks. Little did everyone know that this was just the beginning of the even more chaos.
Friendly’s was founded in 1935. Since then its menu and size has grown exponentially; however in recent years it has been facing a slow downward spiral into the ground. It was just released a few days ago that they’re likely to file bankruptcy as early as the week October 3, 2011. Costumers have slowly stopped coming to the various Friendly’s restaurants for years, I myself have seen this first hand in the year or so that I have worked for them. The high 5 menu seemed to have been their last ditch effort to stir up some business. The advertising for this promotion has been bigger and better than ever. With billboards, T.V. and radio ads, store advertising and an assortment of other techniques, Friendly’s is really trying to get the word out about this new menu (which will be a regular deal, changing the items in it every so often we are told).
Not only has the menu changed, but the stores have changed in a sense also. High five is the new way of life at Friendly’s restaurants. From the moment you walk into one of the stores you’ll be almost assaulted with a barrage of employees holding hands up high asking for even the smallest high five. It turns out that management was told that they have the right to fire employees for not giving out high fives, turning high fives into the life-force that servers and greeters need to survive in a sense. One of our managers goes as far as to start a “high five conga line” to try and get the guests into it, but usually just traumatizing them in the process. Servers have new bright red apron with the trademark Friendly’s name on it and the big high five hand. Birthday celebrations have also been revamped to be bigger and better for the children (after all Friendly’s prides itself on being family orientated). Kids are given a card signed by all of the employees on shift at the time with as offer for a free ice cream. At the time the card is presented, all of the employees are required to come out and sing the birthday song to the child. This includes the cooks and fountain workers, who are expected to drop everything they are doing (even while preparing food/ice cream) to sing to the child.
Is it working though, that is the real question. All of these outlandish changes seem to have brought in more customers and sales, especially at the Friendly’s I work at. However since just two weeks after this promotion, Friendly’s is possibly planning on filing bankruptcy it would see that it was all for nothing. It doesn’t look like Friendly’s will be able to high five its way out of the hole it dug itself into.
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