A casualty of a tough economic environment, rising commodity costs, and changing customer tastes, Friendly's announced it had filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and closed 63 stores in October 2011.

The etymology is unclear. The Dictionnaire de l'Académie française dates the word from the 19th century term, bistro, "innkeeper", and suggests that it may be linked to the Poitevin word bistraud ("little servant"), or to bistrouille ("cheap liquor"). It recommends the spelling "bistrot" in preference to "bistro".

A bistro is a casual restaurant that originated in France and is known for its focus on traditional French cuisine. Unlike a formal French restaurant, a bistro has a more relaxed ambiance and may offer a limited menu of classic, usually French-influenced dishes.

Chef Valerie Chang opened Maty's in 2023 to wide acclaim. The Midtown restaurant, which has won numerous accolades since opening in 2023, was also ranked number 15 on Food & Wine's 2024 list of 20 "Global Tastemakers Best Restaurants in the U.S." The Peruvian restaurant was ranked number 15 out of 20 restaurants.