The Iconic ‘Friends’ Coffeehouse Just Opened in NYC—What to Know About Central Perk

Finally, the Central Perk Coffee Company has arrived in New York City. After more than three decades friends Premiere, an official ode to the sitcom’s famous hangout, opens in Manhattan on December 12.

Created in partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery Global Experiences, the shop’s logo and decor pay homage to the ’90s hit that made Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, David Schmemmer, and the late Matthew Perry household names. But fans wandering the West Village, where the fictional cafe was set, won’t find themselves anywhere near the real-life version. instead, friends The legacy — 10 seasons, 236 episodes, and global devotion — earned the cafe a prime spot in the city’s glitziest hub: the ground floor of the 20 Times Square building at 47th Street and Seventh Avenue.

“My hope is that it’s not just a tourist attraction, but that it becomes a place for people to have a great cup of coffee, some great food, and a community gathering,” said Glenn Cobbin, Central Park’s principal architect and designer. Travel + Leisure.

He noted that the team briefly considered the original Mustache Cafe location on Bedford Street in the West Village, but that space was ultimately too small. And with this Times Square address—from the Olive Garden, cornered by the TKTS booth, and framed by diagonal glass windows overlooking the confluence of worlds—the visibility was impossible to pass up.

The location is nothing short of amazing. There is also design. “Our design brief was not to recreate the set from 1994, but to imagine what Central Perk would look like,” says Cobain, whose firm Glenn & Co. designed the celebrity-favorite restaurant Carbone in New York City’s Edison Ballroom, as well as the Edison Ballroom in New York City and the Michelin-starred One Califi The Adelphi, New York.

The result is a more utilitarian space than a sleek, cozy on-screen cafe, yet warm and welcoming—and one entirely approved by original show creators Marta Kaufman and David Crane, as well as producer Kevin Bright. “What you’re going to see is a design that references the original set and plays off the little easter eggs that are elements of discovery, some in plain sight and some that are hidden,” Cobain explained.

More clearly are the wall-sized black-and-white images friends A framed photo of the fountain and original set. Then there are those that more diehard fans can pick up, like the A to Z bods Chandler bought for Christmas and three pop art prints by artist Burton Morris, whose artwork was on 130 episodes of the show, including a Ross T-shirt. Even the trip to the bathroom is layered, like a bronze chicken and duck that Joey and Chandler coordinated together, like Monica’s apartment, hinting at the purple doors.

friends Lingo extends to the menu, with playful drinks like the NYC Matcha and New York Rails Taxi tall iced coolers, as well as the Chandler’s Chocolate Cold Foam Latte, the blended Princess Consuela’s Banana Mocha, and wines like the OH.my.gawd! Cold brew. The star of the food lineup is the “Tribbini Sandwich,” created by Top Chef and James Beard Award winner Tom Collecchio, piled high with prosciutto, soprasta, capicola, cotto, cuppa, and provolone on semolina bread.

And of course, no coffee shop — or an homage to an old TV classic — would be complete without officially licensed specialty chili, from mugs and glassware. friends Candles and six original coffee blends.

“What I love, what I love, what they’ve given us the opportunity to do is tell the richness of their story through these materials,” Cobain told T+L.

Ironically, New York City wasn’t the first to get a Central Perk Coffee Company location, as the inaugural cafe opened in Boston at 205 Newbury Street in 2023. As I wandered around during the 2024 tour, I found myself surprised to find only scoping photos. Most of the customers were locals just hanging out, just as the fictional cafe intended.

This was not my first time on any official orange couch. I’ve toured the replica at previous pop-ups in New York City and on the Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood in Burnbank. And long before that, my first job at the WB Television Network got me just a few steps away from reality friends The fountain at Warner Bros. Studio Ranch, where I sometimes slipped into live tapings after work. These days, only orange sofas remain on my list friends Experience, now open in New York City; Las Vegas; London; and Fortaleza, Brazil.

With my imagination friends Having been part of my life for nearly three decades, this new Times Square opening still feels special. After all, this might be the best episode yet: one where New York City finally has a central advantage.