A hotly-anticipated pop-up diner is months away from opening its doors, but fans of the eatery are already offering up plenty of menu suggestions.
Muffin tops, chocolate babkas, black and white cookies and big salads are just a few of the items guests are hoping to find at the Seinfeld-inspired pop-up bar and restaurant that’s slated to open in Toronto this July.
The brains behind the restaurant say it will resemble the fictional Monk’s Café where Jerry, George, Elaine and Kramer spent countless hours chatting about, well, nothing.
“Even though it was very much a show that was focused on life in the ‘90s, it’s still about big city life and the kind of crazy characters that you meet,” Mackenzie Keast, one of the organizers behind the pop-up, told CTVNews.ca.
Keast said a George Costanza-themed bar in Australia was the inspiration behind the pop-up. Keast and his friends wanted to create a space where Seinfeld fans would feel like they’re walking onto the set of the popular show.
The group is working with a designer who will build the space. They’re also interviewing chefs and bar managers.
A Facebook event for the pop-up’s July 15 opening party shows 7,000 individuals are planning to attend the event while another 18,000 are interested in attending – and the event was only posted online on Monday.
Keast anticipated there were plenty of Seinfeld fans living in Toronto, but he was still surprised but the immediate outpouring of interest.
“It’s a testament to how great the comedy, and how great the writing was,” he said.
Organizers say the pop-up will run throughout the summer and will include Seinfeld trivia, karaoke and costume contests.
Keast said a name for the restaurant or the food options haven’t been finalized, but patrons can expect to see some Seinfeld favourites on the menu.
“Kenny Rogers chicken, pastrami sandwiches, muffin tops, Snickers bars, we want it all,” he said.
Keast said he wants Seinfeld fans to reach out to pop-up organizers to offer-up their food favourites from the show.
He said he’s not worried about running into copyright issues, as the pop-up will be inspired by the fictional Monk’s Café, rather than a “Seinfeld bar.”
“At the end of the day, it’s still parody,” he said.
Keast said for the time being, the pop-up diner will only be operating over the summer, but if there’s enough interest it could turn into a long-term venture.
Judging by the immense interest the pop-up bar has already generated, it’s sure to be the “Summer of George.” Or perhaps, more accurately, the summer of Seinfeld.
