'Golden Girls'-Themed Restaurant Planned For Washington Heights
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A friend of late actress Rue McClanahan is planning to open a "Golden Girls"-themed restaurant in Washington Heights this September.
As CBS2's Jill Nicolini reported, the restaurant is set to open at the Sofia Storage building, at 4396 Broadway, near 187th Street.
Michael J. LaRue will be honoring his late friend McClanahan, who played Blanche Devereux on the show, by opening the "Rue La Rue Café." He said he inherited her personal items when she died and wants to put them on display.
"We have costumes from 'The Golden Girls.' We have jewelry from the show. The number one item is probably going to be her Emmy Award from 'The Golden Girls,'" LaRue said.
The menu will feature soups, wraps, salads, wine and what the ladies loved to eat most -- cheesecake.
LaRue also said he plans to have McClanahan's piano in the cafe for live music and hopes the restaurant will draw fans to come visit from around the world.
LaRue said he has confirmed Betty White – who played Rose Nylund on the show and is its last surviving star – will attend the ribbon cutting ceremony.
"The Golden Girls" aired from 1985 until 1992, and has been in syndicated reruns ever since.
McClanahan died in 2010 at the age of 76. Co-star Bea Arthur, who played Dorothy Zbornak on the show, died in 2009 at age 86. Estelle Getty, who played Zbornak's mother Sophia Petrillo but was actually younger than Arthur, died in 2008 at 84. White turned 94 in January.