NEED TO KNOW
- The Central Perk Coffeehouse is officially opening in New York City’s Times Square on Dec. 5
- The new establishment also revealed two new Friends-inspired beverages that will make their debut
- The food menu features The Tribbiani, a sandwich created by Tom Colicchio
The beloved hangout from Friends will be there for New Yorkers — and visitors to the Big Apple — starting Dec. 5.
The Central Perk Coffeehouse, a real-life establishment with a reimagined design, is officially opening at 20 Times Square, two years after an inaugural eatery opened in Boston.
The new addition comes from the same creative team as the first, including Top Chef judge Tom Colicchio and architects Glen & Co.
The contemporary take on the iconic Friends gathering spot, which will be at the corner of Seventh Avenue and 47th Street, includes expansive glass windows and updated, contemporary decor.
However, there will also be plenty of nostalgic references for fans of the beloved NBC sitcom, which was famously set in N.Y.C. The space will display artwork by pop artist Burton Morris, whose colorful works appeared in more than 130 episodes of Friends.
The new establishment also revealed two new signature beverages that will make their debut at the N.Y.C. coffee shop’s opening.
The One with NYC Matcha, a nod to the sitcom’s episode naming convention, offers a layered iced matcha latte blended with oat milk, adding rich strawberry purée and topped with a savory cream cheese cold foam. A press release for the coffeehouse says it’s meant to evoke strawberry-matcha cheesecake.
NY Relaxi Taxi Tall Iced Cooler (a callback to a certain T-shirt) starts with a base that’s half lemonade and half iced green tea, brightened with lavender syrup, and topped off with sparkling water and a lemon wheel.
The menu will also feature items from Central Perk Coffeehouse Boston, such as Chandler’s Chocolate Cold Foam Latte, Blended Princess Consuela’s Banana Mocha, and Oh.My.Gawd! Coldbrew.
The food menu also features playful show references, starting with The Tribbiani, a sandwich created by Colicchio in honor of sandwich enthusiast Joey Tribbiani, with freshly sliced prosciutto, soppressata, capicola, cotta, coppa, provolone, lettuce, giardiniera, olive oil and vinegar on semolina hero bread.
Other culinary attractions include Joey’s Meatball Sandwich, Rachel’s Green “Side” Salad, Weekend at Caesars Salad and Mama’s Little Bakery Cheesecake.
“For me, food has always been about bringing people together, and that’s exactly what Central Perk represents,” Colicchio said in a statement.
The Top Chef judge added, “Having the opportunity to help guide the menu for such an iconic concept in the middle of New York City is a thrill — ‘The Tribbiani’ nods to the world of Friends while standing proudly as a sandwich New Yorkers will both respect and crave every day.”
Friends, which starred Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, Matthew Perry and Matt LeBlanc, ran from 1994 to 2004, and has continued to draw new fans in the years since. It’s currently available to stream on HBO Max.
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