At the corner of Niagara and Bathurst streets, Central Cafe offers coffee, teas, sandwiches and snack foods galore. Along with the calm ambience, there are a few references to the show with the bright decor, including the famous orange couch, and even a flatscreen TV that plays Friends episodes.
Maria Cordeiro, manager of Central Cafe, explained the premise behind it. “We wanted to make a comfortable and cozy environment for customers,” Cordeiro said. “There’s some inspiration from the show, but it’s not associated in any way with Friends, nor is it a replica.”
This begs the question: are theme restaurants like this worth it? When it comes to paying a bit more or going out of the way to eat at one, there can be some mixed opinions.
When discussing if Central Cafe lives up to standards, customer Kimberly Lam was let down. “When I first heard about it I was expecting more, but then when we came here it was really just the couch that was the Friends part. Everything else just shows me that it’s a casual cafe— which is fine and comfortable, but clearly that one reference is all that they could do.”
Theme restaurants like this tend to focus on decor and the overall aesthetic of the place, meaning other factors like food quality, prices, and convenience of the location may be neglected. In a Restaurant Hospitality article, Gary Stibel (CEO of The New England Consulting Group) said, “They may be initially successful, but the novelty wears off quickly, and then all that’s left is average-tasting food that’s not worthy of the price.”
Check out five other themed restaurants in Toronto!
A lot of the backlash this cafe has received is related to how different it is from the real “Central Perk”. Dedicated Friends fan and customer, Sandra Eskandar said she thinks the layout of the cafe is totally off. “I feel like if theme restaurants like this are going to pay homage to such an iconic show with a household name, it should take into account the little details and references,” Eskandar said, “these would go a long way in its success, and I don’t think Central Cafe really captures this.”
Produced by Jenna Naccarato, Natalie Michie & Abhi Raheja
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