Friendly’s Announces New Chief Branding Officer Amid Store Closures

After leaving his post as chief marketing officer for fast-casual chicken chain El Pollo Loco earlier this year, Ed Valle has resurfaced in a new role with family restaurant chain Friendly’s.

According to a recent Restaurant Business article, Valle has been serving as chief branding officer for the East Coast-based chain since mid-October, though Friendly’s only announced the news on Thursday.

Valle replaces former CMO Randy Davis, who left the 200-plus unit company in August, per a recent Nation’s Restaurant News article. The CBO role is a new position at Friendly’s, the company said.

The timing of the announcement comes in the wake of a Boston Globe report that Friendly’s has closed six restaurants, two of them in Massachusetts, this week.

“While we are sad to close our doors in these six locations, we look forward to the future of Friendly’s and continuing to explore new opportunities to enhance the customer experience,” the brand said a statement cited in the Globe article.