Last Updated on May 2, 2023 by Timothy Byron Smith
Little Owl Café, located at the corner of Bedford Street and Grove Street, is the real-life Central Perk café from the TV series “Friends”. Although the café does not have the iconic orange couch, large coffee mugs, or the comforting atmosphere of the Central Perk in the show, it is a popular destination for fans of the series.
The café opened in May 2006, two years after the TV series finale, and was not originally planned to be a tribute to the show’s café. Instead, Chef Joey Campanaro and his ex-wife saw the charming spot as a place to open a neighborhood restaurant, unaware of the significance of its location.
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Instead of making a reference to the show, the café is called after a pair of fake owls that are used to scare off woodpeckers on wooden houses. However, it offers white mugs with an image of the exterior of the building to customers who miss the imagined café.
With its dark wooden tables and chairs and dark banquettes bordering the walls, the café is also a neighborhood favorite and a popular stop for locals. The atmosphere is welcoming and neighborhood-like, with employees treating patrons like celebrities and famous people relishing their obscurity.
Although the café does not have the same layout or aesthetic as the Central Perk in the show, it embodies the spirit of the fictional café as a place where anyone and everyone can visit, enjoy a meal, and feel a sense of community.
While tourists who come to the café often leave disappointed that it is not an exact replica of Central Perk, they still visit to take pictures of the fire escape and the street corner. Some staff members have even reported seeing familiar faces of the show’s supporting actors dining in the café.
Little Owl has no central couch, comfortable lounge area, or cheap coffee, but it has a pleasant, relaxed atmosphere where locals can enjoy a meal and chat with friends.
The café has become a popular tourist destination in New York City, with people visiting from all over the world to experience a part of the show’s history.
Despite the café not being an exact replica of Central Perk, it still captures the show’s essence and continues to draw in fans of the series.
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