Central Perk Coffeehouse Officially Opens Its Doors In Boston TOMORROW - 11/14!


The One Where the World’s First Central Perk Coffeehouse Opens in Boston on Tuesday, November 14, 2023

 

Get a Look inside the Eagerly Awaited FRIENDS-inspired Central Perk Coffeehouse

     

Photos Courtesy of Brian Nevins

 

BOSTON, MA and LOS ANGELES, CA (NOVEMBER 13, 2023) – Warner Bros. Discovery Global Themed Entertainment with CenPer Holdings, LLC, proudly announce that the world’s first Central Perk Coffeehouse will open its doors in Boston, MA on Tuesday, November 14, 2023. Nestled within a historic brownstone on Newbury Street, Central Perk Coffeehouse is a reimagined adaptation of the iconic coffeehouse made famous by the TV series FRIENDS.


 

Designed by award-winning architecture and interior design firm Glen & Company, the inaugural Central Perk Coffeehouse blends nostalgia with contemporary flair, featuring a modernized version of the iconic orange couch as the centerpiece in the space for friends to gather. Other highlights include a bespoke piece by artist Burton Morris and the ‘Orange Room,’ a semi-private, reservable area that features a replica orange couch, with a neon sign above that reads “The One With…”  

Here, all guests are welcome to create their own moments and write their next episodes with their friends.

 

“Our mission was to reimagine Central Perk as it would look and serve as a gathering spot for friends today, not to recreate the actual set. The space conveys the “Central Perk state-of-mind,” a place where people make memories - fall in love, commiserate, tell secrets and share laughter,” said Glen Coben, Founder and Principal Designer, Glen & Company.




With a menu that boasts a wide variety of tasty coffee and food options, in a setting that is contemporary yet reminiscent, the soul of Central Perk remains intact, promising a premium quality dining and coffee experience for everyone. Central Perk Coffeehouse will serve a selection of traditional coffees, cold brews, and specialty drinks made with the six original artisanal coffee blends from Central Perk Coffee CoHow You Doin'? medium roast, Pivot Blend medium dark roast, We Were On a “Coffee'' Break dark roast, Oh My Gawd! cold brew, Moo Point decaf, and Gunther espresso. Guests can enjoy their beverages with assorted morning fare and choose from an all-day menu created by the Central Perk culinary team with advice from investor and James Beard award-winning chef Tom Colicchio. Aptly-named savory and sweet dishes include Joey’s Meatball Sandwich, The Moist Maker Turkey Sandwich, Grandma’s Chicken Salad, Mama’s Little Bakery Cheesecake, and more.


 

Apart from the menu offerings, guests will also discover subtle nods to the series and characters within the space, such as artwork and coffee cup sleeves featuring iconic quotes from each of the six Friends. On opening day, Central Perk Coffeehouse will introduce and distribute the Chandler Bing “Can I Interest You in a Sarcastic Comment” sleeve exclusively for the entire day, in honor of the life and enduring legacy of Matthew Perry.

 

Central Perk is located at 205 Newbury Street, Boston, MA and will be open seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. In coming weeks, the coffeehouse will extend its hours of operation and introduce a selection of beer, wine, and cordials including a creative twist on espresso martinis. 

 

For fans seeking a special memento, Central Perk Coffee Co. coffee blends and exclusive Central Perk Coffee Co. themed merchandise will be available for purchase at the Boston location and online.




Steam Deck OLED Or Nintendo Switch OLED? Need help deciding?

The new Steam Deck OLED or the... Nintendo Switch OLED, which should you get? Before you rack your brain trying to figure it out, it's important to identify what you prefer to play. If you love playing games like Mario, Zelda, and Pokemon, then that's a no-brainer, go with a Nintendo Switch because you can only get those games on a Nintendo platform. You can actually get the new Nintendo Switch bundle that includes Mario Kart 8 Ultimate, plus three months of Nintendo online for multiplayer for $299.00. That's going to be the most affordable option between these handheld dockable options.

There's also the $299.00 Xbox Series S Starter Bundle that launched October 31st, which includes 512 GBs of storage, and 3 months of Xbox game pass Ultimate + a wireless controller (duh of the day). We are talking handhelds here though, so I digress, I just wanted to mention another option at the same price point as the... Nintendo Switch.

On the flip side, if you have a Steam library full of games, your friends game on PC... or you just want to get into PC gaming in a portable way, then the Steam Deck is probably the best option for you.

You don't have to worry about rebuilding your library with a Steam Deck, and that's the most beautiful thing about owning one or a PC in general. Not only that, there are Playstation games you can enjoy on the platform as well, plus there is no paywall to play online multiplayer. The only paywall you're looking at outside of general internet service for your home... is Xbox game pass if you so choose to use the service. The bright side is that it doesn't stop you from gaming on your PC, it's just a particular service that you can access through your PC.


What helps the Nintendo look more appealing is the price tag, because the cheapest Steam Deck you're going to get is the LCD version for $349, that is, until they sell out, and then those are gone since Valve doesn't plan to manufacture anymore. The best LCD version will run you $449. The other side of that Valve coin is the new Steam Deck OLED that ranges from $549 for the 512GB version to the 1TB version for $649. While this might make you lean back like Smokey and Craig did on Friday, the Steam Deck isn't a handheld system that would require you to upgrade every console generation.

I have a Steam library with games over a decade old and I can play games from today and over a decade ago without paying extra because they're already in my account. So this device beats out the Switch in the long run if it lasts that long, but that boils down to care as well... plus you can switch out the parts. This model is said to be easier to repair and to mod, just make sure you know what you're doing. If you don't, no worries, iFixit... officially repairs these products and sells tools to repair + mod.


This doesn't write the Switch off, but once a new console is up and running from Nintendo, it would only be a matter of time before they pull the support on the Switch... unless they adopt Valve's biz model (which I doubt would happen). The Switch has been around for a while now... but hopefully they give it a bit more time before they consider a new console that requires an upgrade to play. Even if a new console emerges, this wouldn't change what you've read here... so I hope this helps you with your decision. Game on!