FRIENDS fans have been slammed for scrawling iconic quotes from the TV series on the walls of a man’s restaurant in New York.
Joey Campanaro owns the Little Owl Restaurant, which is the same location as the famous Central Perk coffee shop in Friends.
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With “Friends” frenzy at a peak for the sitcom’s 25th anniversary, hordes of fans have descended upon the Greenwich Village building that was “home” to the show’s characters.
They’ve been accused of blocking sidewalks as they snap selfies and even defacing walls with graffiti.
Joey, 47, whose restaurant is found on the corner of 90 Bedford Street, said: “It’s annoying. They’re behaving as if there’s zero accountability.”
He added that he sees “hundreds [of people]” during the week, while it is “closer to 1,000” people at the weekend.
Joey said that with all the promotion around the series’ anniversary last month, the decidedly un-friendly defacing of his building’s exterior is getting worse, as overzealous fans sign their names and scrawl their favourite lines.
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He explained: “It’s monkey see, monkey do. They’re using permanent marker and lipstick.
“Take a picture of it and share it on social media. It’s become a bit of a cult.”
Some of the quotes spotted on the wall, which spans the length of the Bedford Street facade, include Phoebe’s “I don’t even have a ‘pla…,'” and Ross’ infamous “We were on a break!”.
The vandals sometimes have the nerve to ask restaurant staffers for Sharpies — and even try to grab markers through the open window of the bistro’s office.
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Joey explained that when he sees them scrawling on the walls, he tells then it is illegal as it is a class-A misdemeanour – which in New York could result in up to a year in jail or a $5,000 (£3,800) fine.
He anticipates sandblasting the brick wall will cost “a couple thousand” dollars.
He’s also ordered a sign informing fans of the illegality and that they’re under video surveillance. (The cameras belong to the landlord of 90 Bedford, the Merrimaker Corp., which did not return a request seeking comment.)
The chef said he’s going to foot the bill because, ironically, he said he “feels responsible.”
Back in 2011, he served dinner to a street-artist friend who liked the dinner so much that, as he left, he wrote “I love Joey” — in sidewalk chalk — on the side of the building.
Joey said: “I think a tourist thought that was meant for [‘Friends’ character] Joey Tribbiani and not Joey Campanaro.”
New York tourists can take a Friends tour of Greenwich which includes Bloomingdales, where Rachel worked, as well as at the Pulitzer Fountain which features in the opening credits.
Closer to home is a Central Perk themed cafe at a Primark in Manchester.
This article was originally posted by the New York Post and has been reproduced with permission.
