Friendly’s Modernizes Operations with SynergySuite Integration
Founded in 1935 in Springfield, Massachusetts, Friendly’s Restaurants® has grown from a single neighborhood ice cream shop into a beloved brand with more than 90 locations — both franchised and corporate-owned — across 11 states. Known for its diner-style menu and classic desserts, Friendly’s lives its motto of “life with extra sprinkles” through great service, family-friendly environments, and enduring guest appeal.
The Challenge
When BRIX Holdings acquired Friendly’s in 2021, the brand had an opportunity to modernize its operations while preserving its nostalgic charm. But its restaurants had a mix of legacy technology systems that were inconsistent across locations.
“We were all over the gamut when it came to technology,” said Carissa De Santis, former chief technology officer for BRIX. “We inherited the various technology stacks that the restaurants had in place. I wanted it to be consistent across the brands where it made sense.”
The company sought a repeatable, scalable, and easy-to-use system that could unify back-of-house operations and integrate seamlessly with a cloud-based point of sale platform.
The Solution
To support this transformation, Friendly’s implemented a modern tech stack anchored by a cloud-based POS with open API capabilities. This allowed them to integrate SynergySuite, a powerful, cloud-first back-of-house management platform.
SynergySuite centralizes operations across inventory, purchasing, labor management, scheduling, food safety, and business intelligence. By integrating directly with the POS platform, SynergySuite enables a unified view of restaurant performance—streamlining workflows, improving data visibility, and increasing operational efficiency across all locations.
“The old system in place ‘held the line’ but wasn’t going to take Friendly’s to the next level,” said Derek Linders, VP of Technology at Friendly’s. “SynergySuite provided the advanced tools necessary to meet evolving business needs effectively. While the franchisees were already very disciplined, the previous system didn’t offer the data visibility required for real-time and long-term strategic business decisions.”
The Results
The integration of SynergySuite with a flexible cloud-based POS system has transformed Friendly’s ability to manage and scale its operations.
Sherif Mityas, CEO of BRIX Holdings, emphasized the business impact: “The ability to deploy a custom technology strategy has been game-changing for Friendly’s. We’ve been able to deliver a better guest experience, delight our employees by giving them cutting-edge tech that makes their jobs easier, and improve our efficiency.”
Niall Fogarty, Chief Architect of SynergySuite, praised the brand’s forward-thinking approach: “Friendly’s has shown how powerful it can be to integrate best-in-class solutions. By combining our platform with their POS system, we’ve helped drive greater visibility, consistency, and growth.”
With a scalable, cloud-based tech stack and best-in-class tools like SynergySuite, Friendly’s is positioned to thrive for years to come—continuing to serve up smiles and “extra sprinkles” with every visit.