No pranks allowed.
New Yorkers will get their first taste of the classic themed restaurant, Rainforest Cafe, when it opens on the 86th floor of the Empire State Building in the first week of October.
The excited news comes after news that the popular eco-focused chain, a staple of upscale shopping malls in the late 1990s and early 2000s, was opening in New York City was heralded by ESB executives earlier this year and quickly exposed as an April Fool's joke.
at that time, Empire State Building X Account with a straight face “The world's highest rainforest cafe” is said to be opening in the iconic skyscraper.
Ultimately, the harmless prank caused an uproar online, with nostalgic fans begging for the gag to become a reality.
“After overwhelming interest and fast response from our fans online, we're excited to announce a limited-time pop-up store with Rainforest Café on our iconic 86th Floor Observatory,” the Empire State Building said in a written statement.
The event will span four days, taking place from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday, October 3. Tickets can be purchased online and promise “access to limited-edition Rainforest Café x ESB merchandise and special food treats.” Further details were not immediately available.
Queens native and Rainforest Café founder Steven Schussler opened his dream first restaurant at the Mall of America near Minneapolis in 1994. The restaurant quickly became famous for its animatronic monkeys and elephants, glowing blue fish tanks, lightning bolts, animal herds, waterfalls and more natural, misty landscapes.
When Schussler, who used to sell hot chocolate at Shea Stadium, lived in the Twin Cities suburbs, he tested his concept by building a $400,000 mock rainforest in his home, complete with a real waterfall, 40 real tropical birds, two heavy turtles, an iguana and a baboon that roamed the premises. According to The Hustle.
Schussler's electricity bills, more than $2,000 a month, were high enough to attract the attention of the DEA, who suspected at the time that he might be running a marijuana grow operation.
“I put everything into creating this rainforest,” the former owner, who sold it to Landry's in 2000 at a huge loss of $100 million, told the outlet. “I was over the top.”
The upscale chain has suffered significant deforestation in recent years and currently has 23 locations open. The brand is owned by Landry's, which also operates Morton's Steakhouse, Bubba Gump Shrimp and Joe's Crab Shack.
Recently, fans old and new have rallied together to save Rainforest Cafe. Led by its adorable mascot, a red-eyed tree frog called “Cha! Cha!”, the brand has garnered some 83,000 followers on Instagram.
While many stores have closed in the area over the years, two full-service locations remain open in the Tri-State.
Menlo Park Mall is located at 2009 Kevin James comedy “Mall Cop” Meanwhile, Atlantic City's Rainforest Cafe continues to draw crowds from the bustling boardwalk.
