Central Perk Is Real! You Can Hang Out at Friends' Iconic Coffee Shop in NYC

Too bad you can't also spend time with Monica, Rachel, Phoebe, Ross, Chandler and Joey. But hey, this is the next best thing!

By Sydney Bucksbaum Aug 27, 2014 6:10 PMTags
FriendsNBC

It's no secret that Friends is one of the best shows that has ever graced our TV sets...ever. And if you don't agree, you can leave now, kthanksbye.

It's one of our wildest dreams to get to live in the Friends version of New York City, drink coffee in Central Perk and hang out on the orange couch with six of our closest friends: Monica, Rachel, Phoebe, Ross, Chandler and Joey.

And now, our dream is finally becoming our reality!

Well, almost. We can't actually hang out with Monica, Rachel, Phoebe, Ross, Chandler and Joey since they're fictional characters. (Don't you hate it when that happens?) But we can go to Central Perk!

Warner Bros. TV is teaming up with coffee brand Eight O'Clock Coffee to grant our ultimate wish of living in the Friends universe by opening up a Central Perk pop-up shop to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Friends premiere. (Yeah, it's been 20 years...let that sink in for a moment!)

The event, perfectly titled "The One With the Free Coffee," features a pop-up replica of the neighborhood coffee shop we all know and love from 10 seasons of the hit comedy, which will be serving free cups of Eight O' Clock Coffee—including their limited-edition Central Perk Roast, specially created for the occasion.

Any lucky Friends fans who live in NYC can stop by the fully functioning pop-up Central Perk coffee shop at 199 Lafayette Street at the corner of Broome Street in Manhattan's SoHo neighborhood. Doors open to the public on Wednesday, Sept. 17, following a special media preview Monday and Tuesday, Sept. 15-16, and will remain open through Saturday, Oct. 18. Central Perk will be open Mondays-Fridays, 8 a.m.-8 p.m., and Saturdays-Sundays, 10 a.m.-8 p.m.

Plus, the pop-up shop features more than just free coffee (which is already a huge win in our book). Fans can also check out signature props from the show in the decorated storefront, relax on the iconic orange couch, listen to life performances à la "Smelly Cat," win prizes through in-store promotions and contests and even hang out with Friends star James Michael Tyler, aka Gunther! Come on, Central Perk wouldn't be Central Perk without its iconic barista. (But before you ask, no, he won't be serving the coffee, just enjoying it.)

If you're a Friends fan who doesn't live in New York, time to book your flights and get yourself to Central Perk ASAP! This is seriously a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. But there's also a cheaper option to enjoy the Friends anniversary, as fans all over the country can buy bags of the limited edition coffee at grocery and mass merchandise stores nationwide and online.