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Family-favorite, casual dining chain Friendly’s is marking its 90th birthday with a weekend-long bash featuring 90-cent ice cream scoops and giveaways.

Friendly’s will kick off the festivities July 18 by handing out exclusive anniversary sunglasses to the first 90 guests at its nearly 100 outposts nationwide. On July 20 – National Ice Cream Day – rewards members can score a free cone or dish of ice cream.

The weekend will also include 90-cent single-scoop cones or dishes of ice cream for in-store or to-go for members and non-members alike.

Friendly’s Restaurants President Dawn Petite shared, “We’re turning 90 the only way we know how – with sweet surprises, unbeatable value, and ice cream for everyone. This celebration is our way of saying thank you to generations of families who’ve made Friendly’s part of their story.”

A sweet return

The offer comes as Friendly’s hopes to reboot itself with menu innovations, restaurant updates and social media savvy promotions. The brand recently teamed up with the Jonas Brothers to launch a limited-time treat for the Wyckoff pop group’s 20th anniversary tour.

At the peak of its popularity in the mid-1990s, the Dallas-based franchise had about 850 locations. That footprint included about four dozen stores in New Jersey. However, changing consumer preferences and financial struggles prompted the chain to seek Chapter 11 bankruptcy twice and close hundreds of restaurants.

Locally, the BRIX Holdings LLC-owned subsidiary has 13 sites:

• Blackwood
• Cinnaminson
• Clark
• Convent Station
• Deptford
• Elmwood Park
• Glassboro
• Hackettstown
• Hampton Township
• Metuchen
• Robbinsville Township
• Sicklerville
• Toms River