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New York City’s The Way Station has been described by publications like The New Yorker as the city’s “preeminent ‘Doctor Who’-themed bar” (note that it’s also the only), but also features a larger sci-fi and pop culture theme. Find cocktails inspired by “Indiana Jones” (the Shirley Temple of Doom) and sci-fi series “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” (the PanGalactic Gargle Blaster pictured here is described in the Guide as being the “best drink in existence”).

WHY IT MATTERS We know what you’re thinking – ”sure, pop culture concepts seem cool and all, but what does that have to do with me?” While it might sound fun to eat or drink like your favorite TV character, when it comes to looking at concepts in this issue, it may be hard to see the connections to your business. Whether it’s transforming into a Mos Eisley Cantina for unofficial Star Wars day, dressing up as Moe’s Tavern from The Simpsons for Halloween, or creating a special cocktail menu for a movie release, discover all the opportunities in leveraging existing pop culture fanbases. Building a pop culture concept also comes with a set of unique challenges – Eater last year reported on the “risky business” of running concepts that might close due to legal trouble or simply fizz out (while the “Golden Girls” café in New York was reported to have an enthusiastic following, it closed after less than a year). Throughout this issue, learn how you can minimize missteps while capitalizing on aspects of pop culture concepts, such as offering themed LTOs.

POP! GOES THE POP CULTURE CONCEPT Your day starts with a trip to Luke’s Diner, where you order (what else but)

coffee. After grabbing some cheeseburgers for your late-night Netflix binge, you wave bye to the barista dressed up in flannel and a backwards baseball cap (who reminds you of someone, though you can’t quite put your finger on it) and hop on over to the Upside Down. There, you use some blinking lights to phone home to Winona Ryder and eat some Eggos at a table on the ceiling. After witnessing a bonafide miracle on what looks to be 34th street, you duck into a restaurant to snack on some butterbeer and jelly beans (though they taste weirdly like earwax). After sneaking in some beers at Moe’s Tavern, you make your way out of Springfield, but then remember that, d’oh!, you also meant to grab a Lard Lad doughnut before jumping into the TARDIS. While people have long immersed themselves in their favorite pop culture

worlds, from memorizing lines and reenacting favorite scenes to attending conventions, today fans can truly eat, live, and breathe like their favorite characters. It’s no longer just about having great food – operators are expanding on trends like experiential dining and eatertainment venues and turning to pop culture for inspiration in creating unique, buzz-worthy concepts sure to trend on social media that aren’t in a far, far away galaxy. Media and pop culture-driven concepts have been all the rage recently as restaurants and businesses look to the fanbases of everything popular, from fans of the Flaming Lips (beer company Dogfish Head is working with the rock band for a special beer collaboration) to Hello Kitty lovers (find Hello Kitty Cafés abroad and as a pop-up in California) to “Friends” (an earlier NYC popup location of the sitcom’s Central Perk coffee shop may soon be going

permanent). Name anything pop culture-related and there’s likely a concept modeled after it. As Food & Wine puts it, pop culture-inspired pop-ups really have gained “serious steam,” and it definitely isn’t hard to understand why. In this issue of Creative Concepts, we’re taking you on an everything pop culture tour, highlighting how you, too, can get in on the action of pop culture concepts.