"Friends" fans flock to new Central Perk Coffeehouse on Boston's Newbury Street
BOSTON - There was a line out the door Tuesday morning for a new coffee shop in Boston with a name known around the world. The first official Central Perk Coffeehouse - named after the coffee shop on the iconic TV sitcom "Friends" - opened on Newbury Street.
Fans of the show were waiting outside even before the 7 a.m. opening to come in and have a cup of coffee where Rachel, Ross, Monica, Joey, Chandler and Phoebe hung out for 10 seasons.
"It's full, it's bustling, a lot of smiling faces," Central Perk general manager Aaron Constable said.
Here we go and live inside the Worlds first Central Perk Coffee House. Come, have some coffee and take in all the great nostalgia. #wbz #centralperk pic.twitter.com/ZFj1nmG1xn
— Levan Reid (@LevanReid) November 14, 2023
Customers were not surprised to see the place packed.
"I knew it was going to happen," Alexis MacArthur said. "I woke up 30 minutes earlier so that I could be here."
There were plenty of selfies taken on the two orange couches inside the shop.
"We are making memories," Yasmine Elamroussy said. "We took a picture - friends taking pictures in a 'Friends' cafe!"
For Akhilesh Malge, "Friends" was a learning tool and he looked forward to his Central Perk visit.
"I've watched 'Friends' a lot. That's actually how I learned English," Malge said. "That's the first English show I watched in India."
Re-imagining "Central Perk"
Creators of the shop said they wanted to "reimagine Central Perk as it would look and serve as a gathering spot for friends today, not to recreate the actual set." But there are plenty of references to "Friends" in the decor, like the fountain on the wall and references on the menu to the show's characters and catchphrases such as a "Pivot Blend" coffee and "Joey's Meatball Sandwich."
The shop will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week. There are plans to stay open later and sell beer, wine and a "creative twist on espresso martinis."
Tuesday's opening also featured a tribute to the late Matthew Perry. Central Perk was distributing a Chandler Bing "Can I Interest You In A Sarcastic Comment" coffee sleeve all day.
Perry, a native of Williamstown, Massachusetts, died last month at 54 years old. He was recognized with an Emmy nomination in 2002 for playing Bing.