You Won't Believe The Real Story Behind Friends' Central Perk

Friends have been standing out among many 90s sitcoms for various reasons, but one of them is not as obvious as the other.

The show about 6 friends in their 20s and 30s suggests a lot of partying, relationship drama, and drinking as a result of it, but the creators went with a completely different story, so all the characters became addicted to… coffee?

That's right, just think about it: could the constant meetups in the coffee shop instead of a bar, be a metaphor for addiction?

In all seriousness, the choice to create a space away from the alcohol must've been the best one the creative team has made.

While the leads from Cheers or How I Met Your Mother spent time drinking, Friends chugged on coffee while comfortably tucked in on an orange couch.

What's even more interesting is that the Central Perk was never supposed to be a coffee shop either. With the sudden rise of Starbucks, the NBC producers thought a place like this might be too trendy.

Instead, they suggested making it a diner, so the friend group could share their meals in a nice cozy booth. It would've looked great but unfortunately did not work out due to the logistic difficulties of filming 6 characters in one booth.

Although Central Perk was always a coffee shop for the viewers, the characters could recall the time when it was a bar instead.

Whether creators realized the irony, or just decided to go with the popular option, in episode 6 of season 3 we see a flashback to 1993, where the place is decorated very differently and sells drinks much more addictive.

The company meets at the bar for one last time only for it to become a coffee shop the next day.

This iconic place's address has never been revealed, so all fans are left to do now is to re-watch the show and imagine themselves on a comfy couch among their favorite characters.

Stream Friends on HBO Max or fuboTV if you'd like to join.