Friends’ Central Perk to open in New York for the 20th anniversary

By Inderdeep Gill on Friday, August 29, 2014

Central Perk was the fictional coffee shop we all wished we could hang out in. The venue for Phoebe’s musical experimentation, probably the longest ever unrequited love story, and plenty of Chandler’s one liners – and now it is coming to New York City for real!

For the 20th anniversary of Friends, Warner Brothers are creating a replica of Central Perk in Manhattan’s SoHo area.

Fans will be treated to free coffee while being allowed to check out real props from the show and sit on the iconic orange couch. Even Gunther, long suffering coffee house manager will be there!

Its opening will follow a media preview on 15 to 16 September, with queues expected to be around the block.

Warner Brothers has previously replicated the famous spot before on London’s Broadwick Street for the 15th anniversary of the show – and there was a huge turnout. Comedy Central will also celebrate the show’s 22 September anniversary in the UK, showing the nation’s favourite episodes as voted by viewers.

This week, Rachel, Pheobe and Monica returned to the Friends kitchen on Jimmy Kimmel’s show but have ruled out a full reunion due to it being impossible.

Courtney Cox explained on David Letterman’s show how she has been trying to arrange a Friends reunion dinner…

“Let me tell you something: there’s six friends and I’ve been trying to put together a cast dinner for ten years. It doesn’t happen!” she laughed to David Letterman. “I can get the girls to come, maybe Matthew Perry. Matt LeBlanc cancelled last time right at the last minute, Schwimmer lives here [in New York City], so it’s just not gonna happen.”