Friends’ Central Perk was an iconic aspect of the show. After several much-publicized pop-ups, the coffee shop now has a permanent, real-world location in Boston, which opened on Tuesday with a perfect tribute to late actor Matthew Perry.
'Friends' coffee shop Central Perk will honor Matthew Perry as first permanent store opens https://t.co/UfomeHKZuH
— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) November 14, 2023
According to PEOPLE, the initial launch date was pushed back due to Perry’s death on October 28. However, Central Perk’s time has arrived. It began with a nod to Perry’s Chandler Bing. Throughout the week, hot drinks are served with a coffee sleeve bearing the Chandler phrase, “Can I interest you in a sarcastic comment?”
The 2,600-square-foot venue, Central Perk is the first permanent coffee shop and restaurant serving light fare, inspired on the NBC series, which aired from 1994 to 2004 and starred Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, Matthew Perry, and Matt LeBlanc. It’s on Newbury Street, Boston’s most famous boulevard. (There was previously a month-long pop-up site in New York celebrating the show’s 20th anniversary in 2014.)
Fans of the show #FRIENDS have their own Central Perk to hang out, have coffee and food. The sitcom inspired coffee shop is a permanent addition to Newbury Street. @wbznewsradio @centralperk pic.twitter.com/0xwuiMl6ld
— James Rojas (@JamesRojasMMJ) November 14, 2023
Central Perk will offer a range of sleeves featuring quotes from the entire group of buddies after the inaugural ceremonies.
The launch follows years of pop-up Perks in New York and California, which were created by Warner Bros. Discovery to promote Friends streaming on Max. Central Perk is counting on Friends’ enduring appeal, as evidenced by its popularity on Max, the buzz about the 2021 reunion special, and the outpouring of love for Perry following his passing last month.
The coffee shop’s website states that restaurateur and Top Chef judge Tom Colicchio assisted in creating Central Perk. Additionally, that website gives Friends fans who live outside of Boston the chance to purchase items with the show’s themes, such as coffee pods and “How You Doin’?” and “Oh. My. Gawd!” Expect Disney World-caliber merchandise to be available. There are Central Perk pens, notebooks, aprons, stickers, glasses, shirts, hats, and mugs available. It’s not quite a theme park, though, because there’s no Dole Whip served in a plastic Duck Jr. cup.
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In the future, there are plans to add more hours to the store and serve wine, beer, and “a creative twist on espresso martinis.”
Inside the brick-and-mortar location, a replica of the orange couch where the Friends cast frequently sat rests beneath a neon sign that reads, “The one with…” However, don’t anticipate Central Perk to appear like a coffee shop from the 1990s, with folks joking about this new-fangled cappuccino thing. “It’s not about creating a replica of it,” architect Glen Coben told PEOPLE, “it’s really looking at what it would look like today. It’s a modern interpretation of what a coffee shop or Central Perk would look like in 2024.”
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See below the tweets shared by fans on X, taken inside Boston’s Central Perk:
Here we go and the doors have opened here at Central Perk and the line is crazy. #wbz #centralperk pic.twitter.com/2Rod9EBkZG
— Levan Reid (@LevanReid) November 14, 2023
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
Could we be any more excited for @centralperk in Boston!? @wbznewsradio pic.twitter.com/GvvReM7mQp
— James Rojas (@JamesRojasMMJ) November 14, 2023
