Have you ever wanted to visit the places where some of your favorite characters have grabbed a bite to eat or once sliced off an alien’s arm with a lightsaber? Now you can!
Central Perk
In the past, we’ve written about the two real establishments based on the bar from Cheers. Now New York City will soon have its own formerly fictional watering
hole for fans of Friends. In honor of the 20th anniversary of the show’s premiere, Warner Bros. teamed up with Eight O’Clock Coffee to build a fully-functional Central Perk, just like the one where Rachel worked and the rest of the characters hung out. It’s scheduled to open on September 17th and will feature everything from the show’s iconic orange coach to musical performances by kooky singers similar to Phoebe Buffay (Lisa Kudrow). Alas, the coffeehouse will only be operating for a little over a month.
It’ll close forever on October 18th but, if you’re willing and able to fly overseas, the UK has two permanent Central Perks.
Krusty Burger
Wanna sink your teeth into a Krusty Burger or a “Partially Gelatinated Non-Dairy Gum-Based Beverage”? Well, then head on down to Universal Studios Orlando. The theme park now offers “Springfield USA,” an area entirely devoted to The Simpsons. If they dare, visitors can dine at a real-life Krusty Burger stand. It’s located in a cafeteria-style eatery called The Simpsons Fast Food Blvd, which also includes recreations of Moe’s Tavern and a chicken joint inspired by Cletus, the show’s “slack-jawed yokel.”
The Mos Eisley Cantina
Rumors surround Disney’s plans to expand the number of Star Wars attractions in its theme parks. Some say the company’s “Imagineers” are currently hard at work on developing concepts and blueprints for an entire land in Disney World devoted to the films. Nothing will be official until sometime next year but fans are hoping they’ll add a café based on the Mos Eisley Cantina, the intergalactic dive bar where Luke Skywalker first met Han Solo and Chewbacca. In the meantime, they can see an animatronic version of the cantina’s band play at Rancho Obi-Wan, a Star Wars museum in northern California.