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The basics:

• Legacy Brands International acquires Friendly’s, other Brix Holdings brands
• South Jersey native Amol Kohli becomes chairman of Brix
• Friendly’s expansion planned in Southeast U.S. markets
• Kohli owns 5 of the 13 Friendly’s locations in N.J.

Legacy Brands International, an investment group managed by South Jersey restaurateur Amol Kohli, has acquired the parent company of family-friendly casual dining chain Friendly’s.

Under the terms of the deal announced July 22, LBI will also take ownership of Brix Holdings’ fast-casual health-focused concepts, including Clean Juice, Orange Leaf, Red Mango, Smoothie Factory + Kitchen, Souper Salad and Humble Donut Co. Financial details were not disclosed.

The acquisition comes four years after Brix bought Friendly’s in the wake of the chain’s second Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing. The sale was reportedly valued at about $2 billion.

Now, Friendly’s is attempting to make a comeback with menu innovations, restaurant updates and social media savvy promotions.

At the peak of its popularity in the mid-1990s, the 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 bankruptcy protection twice and whittle its footprint to fewer than 100 locations.

Kohli operates five of the remaining 13 Friendly’s sites left in New Jersey – Sicklerville, Blackwood, Cinnaminson, Deptford and Glassboro.

From employee to franchisee

After growing up in Voorhees Township, Kohli began working at a local Friendly’s restaurant in 2009 while he was in high school. After graduating from Drexel University, he became a Friendly’s franchisee and has expanded his restaurant portfolio to include over 30 of the brand’s locations on the East Coast.

According to LBI, Kohli will continue managing his Friendly’s outposts while stepping into the new role of Brix board chairman.

Under Kohli’s leadership, Brix plans to accelerate development efforts across its entire portfolio, with a focus on growing the Friendly’s brand in markets such as Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Texas. Currently, Brix operates 250 restaurants.

In a statement, Kohli said, “Friendly’s has been a part of my life since I was 15. I started as a breakfast table waiter, which evolved into owning, managing, developing, and overseeing several locations over the last 16 years. This was only made possible due to the everlasting support of my family, loyal team, partners, and faith. I have been able to create something special for all to enjoy. I plan to take that to the next level in this new chapter of Brix Holdings’ ownership to grow the size, scale and infrastructure for all our franchise networks and systems.”

‘The ideal candidate’

John Antico, founder and managing member of Brix’s principal owner, Jamco Interests LLC, described Kohli as “the ideal candidate for ownership of Brix Holdings.”

“He has a long history of success and dedication to Friendly’s. His broad experience in the restaurant industry and in-depth understanding of multi-brand franchising systems and development will contribute greatly to the continued growth of the Brix brands and its franchisees,” he said.

According to the announcement, Jamco will continue its involvement with Brix and serve as investors in Legacy Brands International.

Current Brix CEO Sherif Mityas will remain in his post and continue to oversee the existing leadership team in its Dallas headquarters, LBI said.

Mityas, a former TGI Fridays executive who joined the company in 2021, said, “I’m confident in our partnership as we continue to grow the Brix family of brands with a team who believes in the company, our strategy and our path forward to support existing and new franchisees across our portfolio.”

He added that the first half of 2025 has been promising for Brix. Along with several locations under construction or in development to open soon, the company reported positive same-store systemwide sales comps in 2024 and is showing continued momentum across its portfolio of brands heading into the second half of this year. Additionally, eight new franchise agreements have already been awarded in 2025.