A man spray paints over the Friendly’s sign at the former Jamestown location in Brooklyn Square. Over the weekend, 23 Friendly’s restaurants closed its doors due to “dramatic changes in the areas,” the company said. P-J photo by Eric Tichy

The Friendly’s brand was removed from its former Jamestown location Tuesday. The Brooklyn Square location — open in the city since 1985 — was one of 23 restaurants to close over the weekend.

Crews on Tuesday removed letters from the front and back of the restaurant while spray paint was used to cover a sign at the corner of South Main and Harrison streets.

The Wilbraham, Massachusetts-based company cited dramatic changes in the areas where some restaurants are located for the closures of the corporate-owned shops. The chain closed 14 restaurants in upstate New York, three in Massachusetts, three in Connecticut, two in New Hampshire and one in Maine.

CEO George Michel said employees at the restaurants closed were offered jobs at other Friendly’s locations or offered severance.

Michel said the closures “will best position the brand for a bright future.”

Friendly’s now has 174 restaurants — 77 corporate-owned and 97 franchisee-owned — down from 254 when the company emerged from bankruptcy in 2012.

The chain started with a single store in Springfield, Massachusetts in 1935.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.