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#REDIRECT [[Friends#Premise]]
{{refimprove|date=December 2008}}
[[Image:Friends Central Perk couch.jpg||thumb|right|200px|Central Perk at its current state in Warner Bros. Studios in Los Angeles.]]
'''Central Perk''' is a fictitious [[coffee shop]] in [[New York City]]'s [[Greenwich Village]]. It was one of the focal points of the popular television [[sitcom]] ''[[Friends]]''.<ref>{{cite news
| last =Ellen
| first =Gray
| coauthors =
| title =Still just 'Friends'?
| publisher =Philadelphia Daily News - Philly.com
|date=2007-01-02
| url =http://www.philly.com/mld/dailynews/living/16366386.htm
| accessdate =2007-01-03}}</ref><ref>{{cite news
| title =Coffee is on at e-comm Cafe on Main Avenue
| publisher =The Star Beacon
|date=2006-12-14
| url =http://www.starbeacon.com/local/local_story_348173042
| accessdate =2007-01-03}}</ref> It was one of the show's main sets in which the six main characters spent much of their free time conversing. One of the main reasons for this was the fact that it was, as Joey proves in ''[[The One with George Stephanopoulos]]'', less than 100 steps from his [[Chandler and Joey's apartment|apartment]], counting 97 steps from the apartment to the inside of the shop. It is based on Cholmondeley's, a coffee shop and lounge in Usen Castle at [[Brandeis University]], the [[alma mater]] of the show's creators.<ref>[http://www.brandeis.edu/admissions/life/events.html Campus Events], [[Brandeis University]]. Accessed [[November 22]], [[2007]]. "The campus coffeehouse, Cholmondeley's (AKA "Chums"), is said to be the inspiration for Central Perk on the NBC hit series "Friends." The show's co-creators, Marta Kauffman and David Crane, are Brandeis graduates."</ref> The name is a [[play on words]] of '[[Central Park]]' (referring to the park, also in New York) and 'perk', referring either to the [[Caffeine|stimulation gained from coffee consumption]] or the [[Coffee percolator|coffee percolation]] process. Central Perk is mentioned in the last line of the show, when asked if anybody wanted to go get coffee, Chandler responds "Where?", the friends leave the apartment, and the show ends.


{{redirect category shell|{{R from merge}}{{R from subtopic}}{{R printworthy}}}}
As of April 2006, the Central Perk set is still set up at the [[Warner Bros.]] studios in [[Burbank, California]], although it has been moved from its former location into a smaller building. Also the set has been downsized to about 2/3 the size. There is also a company store on the lot called Central Perk. It contains a [[Starbucks]], and a [[Jamba Juice]] as well as selling Warner Brothers merchandise (DVDs, WB show related merchandise, etc.).


⚫
[[Category:Fictional restaurants]]
Central Perk has also inspired a coffee shop [[Chain store|franchise]] by the same name that mirrors the style and aesthetics of the fictional one portrayed in ''[[Friends]]''. There is a Central Perk in [[Dubai]] (United Arab Emirates) and [[Geneva]] (Switzerland). There is also a "Phoenix Perk" (a pun on [[Phoenix Park]]) in [[Dublin]].

==Management==
The space was formerly occupied by the gang's old hangout, a [[bar (establishment)|bar]]. Central Perk is owned by a man named Terry (played by [[Max Wright]]), who according to Rachel and Phoebe is a 'jerk'. Terry was rarely seen and left most of the running of his coffee shop to [[Gunther (Friends character)|Gunther]], who became a permanent fixture in the shop, due to his being the only cast member on set who could work the huge espresso machine in the back.

==Layout and furniture==
Throughout the coffee shop are small tables with chairs that [[Extra (actor)|extras]] on the show usually occupy. These, from the main camera angle, are behind the large orange sofa in the middle of the shop. The green chair on the right, the coffee table, and the table and chair on the left are nearly always used as the main setting for any scenes in Central Perk.

In the earlier episodes, irrespective of how busy the coffee shop became, those seats were always available. The writers turned this into a joke and, in the first episode of season three, the six main characters arrive in the shop to find their seats taken. They then look at each other, puzzled, and walk out.

The artwork in the back of Central Perk was changed every three episodes but the layout of the furniture remained largely unchanged for the entire series.

===The "Big Orange Couch"===
The most prominent fixture of Central Perk is the large orange couch that the characters usually sit on. It usually seats four of the Friends at one time. One of the others then occupies the green chair on the right and, if all six are present, there is a table with one chair to the left that seats the last person. No other people in the coffee house sit on the sofa. In one instance, Chandler is seen sitting, and when a young man comes in and goes to sit down on the sofa, Chandler promptly ushers him away. Also, in "The one after the Super Bowl" when a young crowd of elementary school children flood the coffee shop to listen to Phoebe's music, one of the children sits between Ross and Monica on the couch. The couch is also seen in the opening credits of the show in front of the large fountain the cast of ''Friends'' dance in. At the end of the credits all of the friends sit on the couch at once as [[Monica Geller|Monica]] turns off the lamp to the right.

Over the 10 seasons of the show, nothing was spilled on the couch and no marks were to be seen. However, on the night of filming of [[The Last One (Friends episode)|The Last One]] (the final episode), [[Jennifer Aniston]]'s pen, that she was using to sign autographs while sitting on the couch, burst and there is now a large ink stain on the back of the couch.{{Fact|date=February 2007}}.

==Wait staff==
{{Expand|date=March 2007}}
{{expert}}
[[Rachel Green]] worked as a waitress at Central Perk during the first three seasons of the show. She regularly got orders mixed up, put items in the wrong places, and neglected to clean the [[espresso]] machine. In an early episode, she brings all the other friends their orders, saying them out and then walking off. However as soon as she leaves, all the friends exchange drinks, clearly showing Rachel had it all wrong. She blamed her poor performance on the fact she didn't care about the job. Rachel eventually quit to pursue a fashion career in the third season, in the episode titled ''[[The One Where Rachel Quits]]''.

[[Joey Tribbiani]] became a waiter at the coffee shop when money was tight, needing another job while his acting career was at a standstill. He was as terrible as Rachel, partly because he felt he had gone backward on the hierarchy of occupations. He had problems with giving out free drinks and other products of Central Perk such as muffins to the beautiful women who came into the store, and when Gunther forced him to stop, he pretended as if it were their birthdays so they could still receive free food.

When Joey first started Rachel offered him some advice on waiting at Central Perk:
*A smile goes a long way
*The customer is always right
*If a customer is rude, give him or her a "sneezemuffin" (a complimentary muffin which you sneeze on)

==Entertainment==
<!-- Image with inadequate rationale removed: [[Image:Phoebe Buffay 1.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Phoebe playing at Central Perk.]] -->
[[Phoebe Buffay]] was also a regular fixture in Central Perk, and played songs such as ''[[Phoebe Buffay#Smelly Cat|Smelly Cat]]'' to often bemused audiences. Phoebe was, at one point, replaced by Stephanie Schiffer (played by [[Chrissie Hynde]] of [[The Pretenders]]), a professional who was hired by Terry. It is also shown in ''[[The One with Phoebe's Ex-partner]]'' that Central Perk holds open mic nights.

[[Ross Geller|Ross]] also played the [[keyboard (music)|keyboard]] at the coffee shop in one episode, however, he ended up emptying Central Perk of customers and forcing [[Monica Geller|Monica]] to wear [[ear plugs]] as she sat on the couch "listening" to him. Phoebe, on the other hand, greatly enjoyed his music.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Friends}}

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[[Category:Fictional coffee houses]]
[[Category:American television sitcoms]]

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