GREENFIELD — Friendly’s will make its last Fribbles and Monster Mash Sundaes this weekend before it closes its doors Sunday, wrapping up 42 years of business at 200 Mohawk Trail.

The company announced the closure in a written statement published in February, only weeks before the Starbucks coffeehouse chain went before the Planning Board seeking a special permit to operate as a tenant in the space, which is owned by Orion Pro Friend KP LLC in Miami, Florida. The Starbucks site plan was approved in April.

“We are deeply grateful for the unwavering support from the Greenfield community over the past 42 years. Our loyal customers have been the cornerstone of our success, and for this, we extend our heartfelt  gratitude,” the statement reads. “After careful consideration and market evaluations, we have reached the difficult decision to conclude operations at our Greenfield, MA, location in Sept. 2024. Until then, we remain committed to providing joyful dining experiences to all our guests.”

Friendly’s Manager Maelin Manning, of Northfield, now 19 years old, began working at the restaurant as a hostess at the age of 16 before climbing the ladder to become a waitress, and in January, a manager.

Manning said in an interview Tuesday that the business’ last week in operation has been a nostalgic and emotional parting for Friendly’s staff and regular customers.

“It’s kind of bittersweet,” Manning said. “We did have a bunch of regulars in this morning. … A lot of people are giving us their phone numbers saying, ‘Keep in contact.’ We have people buying souvenirs and stuff. We’re selling these photos and everything. Everyone’s just trying to come in and grab a little piece of Friendly’s as we’re going.”

The ice cream parlor’s plans to close in September came as an unpleasant surprise to staff, as Manning said that until July, employees were told the location would close in the winter.

“We were told that we wouldn’t be closing until almost December, and then back in the beginning of July, we’re told, ‘Hey, now it’s September again,’” Manning recounted.

The end of Friendly’s at the rotary marks a continued nationwide trend of Friendly’s restaurants closing, with hundreds of locations shut down in the last decade-plus, according to WCVB and WBZ. In western Massachusetts, there will be only nine locations left, according to the restaurant’s website, with several around the Springfield area, one in Florence, one in Hadley and one in Pittsfield.

Other employees echoed Manning’s remarks, such as Kara Franciosi, who has worked as a Friendly’s server at the restaurant’s Mohawk Trail location for more than nine years.

“I wish to thank the community for all their support over the last nine years,” Franciosi said. “It has been a pleasure to work here in Greenfield.”

The chain began as “Friendly” in Springfield in 1935, when brothers Prestley and Curtis Blake opened up their first store. Five years later, the brothers opened up their second location in West Springfield, which for the first time featured food other than ice cream. By 1974, the company had more than 500 restaurants around the mid-Atlantic and northeastern U.S., according to its website.

“We’re a very hardworking team. We’ve tried really hard over the last couple years to give this community the best service that we could. I know we have our ups and downs, and we’ve always been short-staffed. That’s something Friendly’s has always struggled with ever since I started working here,” Manning said. “We’re all a very close and super-tight family.”

Anthony Cammalleri can be reached at acammalleri@recorder.com.