Central Perk will be there for you when the rain starts to pour.
As Matthew Perry’s friends, family and fans mourn the star’s untimely passing, a new coffee shop has opened in Boston that will offer comfort to every “Friends” fan.
This week the new Central Perk coffee shop opened at 205 Newbury Street in Boston’s Back Bay. The coffee shop pushed back its earlier grand opening in respect of Perry’s passing.
MORE: Matthew Perry foundation launches to help people struggling with addiction
As part of its opening this week, the owners of Central Perk paid homage to Chandler Bing and his sarcastic humor. All week long, customers’ hot drinks will come with coffee sleeves that feature one of Chandler’s iconic lines: “Can I interest you in a sarcastic comment?” In the future, quotes from the rest of the gang will also join the rotation.
While there have been many pop-up versions of Central Perk over the years, this will be the first permanent “Friends”-themed coffee shop in the U.S. Spearheaded by Tom Colicchio of “Top Chef,” the 2,600-square-foot coffee shop will offer more than just “Friends” references and inside jokes for die-hard fans.
The thoughtful menu includes specialty brews and blended drinks (like Princess Conseula’s Banana Mocha) as well as food items like Rachel’s Side Salad, Joey’s Meatball Sub and Phoebe’s Grandma’s Cookies.
But don’t expect Central Perk to be a dyed-in-the-wool imitation of the place where Gunther lusted after Rachel for years.
“It’s not about creating a replica of it, it’s really looking at what it would look like today,” Glen Coben, the store’s architect, told People. “It’s a modern interpretation of what a coffee shop or Central Perk would look like in 2024.”
As you can see from photos of the coffee shop, this is a modern take on the show’s set dressing. The iconic orange couch is there, but with a twist — and, of course, it creates the perfect backdrop for Instagram photos and social media reels.
Even if you can’t make it to Boston, you can still enjoy Central Perk from the comfort of your home. You can order specialty coffee roasts from the coffee shop’s website (like “How You Doin’?” or “Pivot Blend”) and other merch like drinkware and coffee mugs.
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