Coffee is almost its own separate character on Gilmore Girls. It’s the subject of the first opening scene when Lorelai begs Luke for more coffee, and it’s basically the reason why I’ve had a crippling caffeine addiction since 2007.
In celebration of the 16th anniversary of Gilmore Girls’ pilot episode, Netflix is turning local coffee shops into Luke’s Diner for one day only on October 5th. Netflix is pulling out all the stops for the affair, including giving the staff branded aprons and t-shirts to wear. Eater reports that online streaming service will be providing the shops with “all the Luke’s Diner essentials,” and I seriously hope that includes “no cell phones” signs in each and every location. Luke’s Diner is a sacred place, after all, so resist ‘gramming pic until you leave, okay? Flannel shirts and backward baseball caps aren’t explicitly stated either, but one would assume at least a few baristas would dress up for the part.
The pop-up Luke’s Diner hours will be from 7 a.m. to noon, but I’d get there early if I were you, as Netflix is only picking up the tabs for the first 250 12-ounce cups of coffee. It may be Luke’s, but you’re definitely not Lorelai, so you might have to actually wait more than .5 seconds to be served. Not only is Netflix hooking it up with free coffee, but they’re also promising a “fun surprise under their custom Gilmore Girls coffee sleeve.” I don’t know what that surprise is, but I know I want it. BRB, setting my alarm now.
There are over 250 coffee shops participating in this takeover, with least one location in every state. You can check out where your nearest Luke’s is here.
Waking up early to go wait in a long line might seem like a nightmare, but it’s worth it to see what that surprise is. And there’s free coffee! After all, nothing says coffee like 6 a.m. (or in this case, 7 a.m.) in the morning..