'Friends' Central Perk Coffeehouse to open in New York this fall

Fans of Friends will soon get the opportunity to visit another real-life Central Perk location. The modern interpretation of the beloved hangout spot featured in NBC’s long-running sitcom, Friends, will arrive in New York City in late fall, Warner Bros. Discovery Global Experiences and Central Perk Coffeehouse announced in a joint press release on Tuesday.

Opening in Times Square, the newest Central Perk Coffee Co. location will be found at the corner of 7th Avenue and 47th Street, and will function as a more updated take on the fictional, cozy ‘90s coffeeshop on which it’s based.

While an inaugural location in Boston opened in 2023, the New York location will serve as the Central Perk Coffee Co. flagship store. The Times Square flagship store, like the Boston location, will be designed by New York architects, Glen & Co.

Despite being more modern in its design, the coffeehouse, per the press release, will feature an interpretation of the iconic orange sofa where Friends stars Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc, David Schwimmer and the late Matthew Perry regularly gathered on the show. Friends, which ran from 1994 to 2004 and launched its iconic ensemble cast into superstardom in the ‘90s, followed a group of 20-somethings as they navigated life and love in the Big Apple.

“Friends is one of those rare shows that continues to bring people together, generation after generation,” Peter van Roden, executive vice president of Warner Bros. Discovery Global Experiences, said in a statement on Tuesday. “At the heart of that story was always Central Perk, the iconic coffeehouse and the group’s home base, set in Manhattan.”

Roden added of Central Perk, “It was a place where laughter, connection, and unforgettable moments were shared...and it remains that today. After a warm welcome in Boston, we’re excited to bring Central Perk Coffeehouse to Times Square, a location that perfectly captures the energy, spirit, and global love for Friends, right in the city where it all began.”

Central Perk Coffee Co. will offer fans exclusive, brand new merchandise that’ll only be available at its Times Square location, in addition to an artisanal menu of food and coffee drinks curated by James Beard award-winning chef Tom Colicchio.

Six original coffee blends, aptly named “Pivot Blend,” “How You Doin?” and “We Were on a Coffee Break,” will also be available for purchase in ground, whole bean and compostable capsule formats, at both New York and Boston locations, and online via Amazon, according to the press release.

Unveiling a Central Perk Coffee Co. location in New York City was always part of the plan, an executive for CenPer Holdings LLC, which owns and operates the real-life Central Perk Coffeehouse locations, said in a statement.

“When we launched the first Central Perk Coffeehouse in Boston, our goal was always to expand to New York City, a place where fans and friends alike could create their own stories in the city where the series was set,” executive Paul Landino said. “Opening in Times Square, known as the crossroads of the world, is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to bring that vision to life, offering creative coffee drinks and delicious food in a space that is both familiar and refreshingly modern.”