Israelis will soon be able to sip coffee like Ross, Rachel and Chandler: A coffee shop and official pop-up merchandise store inspired by the iconic sitcom Friends will open August 4 at Tel Aviv’s Azrieli Sarona Mall. The themed venue, modeled after the beloved series, is expected to operate for two to three months, depending on public demand.
The project is a collaboration between the Azrieli Group, LDI—the official Israeli representative of Warner Bros. Discovery—Kapaim Productions and food giant Tnuva, which is sponsoring the event via its plant-based brand, Alternative. The merchandise store will be operated by Geeks, the same company behind the Harry Potter store in Tel Aviv’s Azrieli Mall.
Spanning 500 square meters (about 5,400 square feet), the site will feature a wide range of official Friends-branded products, imported photo booths from abroad and a café styled to look like the Central Perk.
The café will be run by Biscotti Patisserie, under the culinary direction of chef and Friends superfan Nadav Bornstein. In fact, it’ll be located where Bornstein’s Korean café once operated, adjacent to a nearby public space. A replica of the show’s iconic orange couch will also be brought in.
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The themed menu includes sweet nods to the show’s most memorable food moments. Among them: Rachel’s infamous trifle (minus the beef, peas and onions, but with green sprinkles), Phoebe’s grandmother’s chocolate chip cookies, the cheesecake that Chandler and Rachel famously dropped and ate off the floor (served here as a vegan version), Monica’s favorite chocolate cake, the gluten-free and vegan brownie Joey gave Rachel before their date, a white chocolate blueberry muffin Rachel once begged Ross to bring her and a jam-filled croissant in tribute to Joey’s love of jam.
To manage the expected crowds, entry to the café and experience will be by timed reservation. Up to 300 guests will be allowed in at once. An online booking system will launch soon, allowing visitors to reserve hourly time slots via a dedicated website.