New York (AFP) – Devotees of fan favorite “Friends” will soon be able to sip a cup of Joey in a Manhattan recreation of the “Central Perk” cafe made famous by the sitcom. Just don’t expect the coffee to cost $3 a cup like it did in the acclaimed television show at the turn of the millennium.
The latest reincarnation of the hot drink haunt will feature plush apricot-color couches and clipart-style logos faithful to the TV series that ran from 1994 to 2004. Central Perk Coffee Co, which already has an outpost in Boston, will run the Manhattan branch which will be based in the Times Square tourist hub and is due to open in late 2025. It announced the venture in a joint statement with Warner Bros.Discovery Global Experiences Tuesday.
“At the heart of (the Friends) story was always Central Perk, the iconic coffeehouse and the group’s home base, set in Manhattan,” said Warner Bros.Discovery Global Experiences executive Peter van Roden. A play on the name of Manhattan’s iconic Central Park, Phoebe, Ross, Rachel, Chandler, Joey and Monica would regularly gather in the fictitious establishment. The name has been applied to a number of imitation cafes as far afield as Shanghai, China.
Coffee blends offered by Central Perk Coffee Co include “We were on a ‘coffee’ break” and the “Pivot blend” — homages to two prominent storylines.
© 2024 AFP
