Santa Monica will get a taste of the fictional New York City this weekend when the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf on the Promenade is temporarily converted into a Central Perk store from the TV show Friends.
The limited time installations will run from Aug. 16 -23 and coincide with a marketing blitz for the show’s 25th anniversary. Two Los Angeles area stores are participating including the Promenade (1312 Third Street) and a store in West Hollywood (8793 Beverly Blvd.).
According to the company, the selfie-friendly pop-ups will include a photo installation where guests can take pictures surrounded by Friends memorabilia, including the iconic Central Perk orange couch.
There will be six Friends-themed drinks, one for each of the cast. The specialty drinks include, The Rachel Matcha Latte, The Joey Mango Cold Brew Tea, The Chandler Caramel Coconut Latte, The Ross Classic Flat White, The Monica Midnight Mocha Cold Brew and The Phoebe Cookies & Cream Ice Blended drink.
The to go cups will have limited-edition collectible Central Perk coffee cup sleeves featuring eight quotes from the show.
“Members of our team are fans of the show Friends, from casual late-night viewers to full-blown fanatics, and we are thrilled to collaborate with Warner Bros. Consumer Products to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the series,” said Darrin Kellaris, vice president of marketing, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf.
Central Perk themed merchandise will also be for sale in-store and online.
The Promenade has become an increasingly common home for pop-up and specialized retail as businesses look for more ways to bring customers into brick and mortar locations. The street has hosted temporary retail options from Taylor Swift and the Promenade T-Mobile location recently hosted a pop-up experience merging the cell phone store with products from Taco Bell.
“The Third Street Promenade has been home to a number of interesting and unique pop-ups since this form of interactive and engaging retail became popular,” said Mackenzie Carter director of marketing and communication for Downtown Santa Monica, Inc. “The Central Perk experience celebrating the iconic series ‘Friends’ and its 25th anniversary is testament to the Promenade’s enduring reputation as a place that is always on the cutting edge, attracting new and exciting concepts. We look forward to grabbing a coffee and curling up on the orange couch with all of our friends.”
editor@smdp.com
