Sorry Friendly’s, Ground Round is Officially Back in New England

A classic American comfort-food restaurant is back from extinction in New England, and if you live near I-84 in Connecticut, you're only about an hour away.

Do you remember the popcorn, burgers, and chicken tenders at the Ground Round? We used to love eating at the Ground Round in Waterbury on Lakewood Road. There was also a Ground Round in Danbury on Newtown Road. The concept has been around since 1969, but the handful of locations that were still alive in 2020 were finished off by the pandemic. Well, it's 2025, and a new, faithful to the original vibe Ground Round Restaurant has just soft-opened in Massachusetts. Here's a reminder from YouTube of the classic Ground Round vibe.

Shrewsbury, Massachusetts is where the brand-new Ground Round restaurant is open and ready for you. The street address is 271 Grafton Street in Shrewsbury, which is just to the east of Worcester, Mass, it's easy to get to Shrewsbury from anywhere in Connecticut near I-84 or 395. If you take 84 all the way to the end and hook up onto the Mass Pike, Worcester is only two exits away. From Hartford it's less than an hour. Getting there from 395 in Eastern Connecticut is even easier.

What's on the new Ground Round menu?

Your favorite burger - The Ground Rounder - is back, it's a half pound cheeseburger on a grilled sesame seed bun, and I've eaten hundreds of them. Chicken tenders, pasta dishes, wings, and salads are on the menu too, but one big change is the Ground Round mascot. Bingo the Clown has been retired, and a new mascot The Ground Round Hound is awaiting your name suggestions.

The new Ground Round is Shrewsbury, Mass is only open for dinner 7 days a week at the moment from 4PM on.