Friends-fanatics get your oversized coffee mugs ready. Eight O'Clock Coffee and WarnerBros are partnering together to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the series premiere —and what better place to do it in than a fully-functioning replica of the Central Perk Café.
From the unforgettable scene of Ross and Rachel's first kiss to the quirky musical performances of Pheobe Buffet, Central Perk was home to many memorable moments for the Friends gang.
And now, the popular hang out is being brought to life in downtown Manhattan, where Eight O'clock Coffee will be serving their special "Central Perk Blend" for free from September 17th- October 18th.
The company recreated the space so fans and coffee lovers alike could not only celebrate the 20th anniversary and National Coffee Day (both in September) but also enjoy time with their friends over a cup of joe.
"Because the show was such an icon we knew what people would want to see," said Chris Healy the Executive Creative Director for Source, the company behind the design of the replica. "There are so many parts of Central Perk that people are familiar with."
The space was designed with many of the props from the show. From the Pantone color on the walls to the brand of rugs used on the set, and faux exposed brick walls, the interior exudes the Central Perk feel. Even the iconic orange couch and green armchairs where the gang spent most of their time (even during the day) and big gold coffee machine make an appearance.
Being fans of both Friends and Eight O'clock, we asked the creative team at Source to give us 10 surprising facts about designing Central Perk:
1. The Central Perk Coffee shop is 20 blocks away from where Monica's apartment was located on the show.
2. The Central Perk Coffee Shop was built in less than 2 weeks.
3. The big gold coffee machine is actually made of Hammered Copper and Brass.
4. If Central Perk's interior brick walls fell on you, you would walk away uninjured. It's (very real looking!) faux brick.
5. The props used in the Central Perk Coffee Shop were shipped from multiple locations including the Warner Bros. archives and the prop house on the Warner Bros. lot.
6. The neon coffee sign almost didn't make it to NYC because of its fragility - no fear - it will be there.
7. Actor James Michael Tyler (Gunther) was originally just meant to be an extra on the sitcom. But early on in season one, the director asked the extras on set if anyone knew how to operate the coffee machine in Central Perk. It just so happened that Tyler did and he became a recurring guest star.
8. At a minimum, visitors will find 20 authentic FRIENDS studio props in the Central Perk Coffee Shop.
9. The golden frame around the peephole was originally a mirror which one of the crew accidentally smashed. But because it still looked good they decided to leave it there. And it will be in the Central Perk.
10. The burlap sacks featured in the Central Perk Coffee Shop were originally used to transport 100% Arabica beans from Brazil coffee farms to the Eight O'Clock Coffee roasting plant in Landover, MD.
