Get ready for Thank You for Being a Friend Fries, Sophia’s Sicilian Meatballs, and, of course, plenty of cheesecake. Rue La Rue, a Golden Girls themed restaurant, will open in Manhattan’s Washington Heights neighborhood in early September. It will be at 4396 Broadway which is, appropriately, known as the Sofia Storage Building. No relation to Ms Petrillo.  According to DNA Info the restaurant is being opened by Michael J LaRue, who named the establishment after his best friend Rue McClanahan, the actor who played hot-to-trot Blanche Devereaux on the 80s series about four female roommates of a certain age living in a house in Miami. When McClanahan died in 2010 she left LaRue all of her memorabilia from her acting career, some of which will be on display at the restaurant, including her piano, which will be used for live-music shows.  LaRue, who is partnering with McClanahan’s son Mark Bisch for the endeavor, says that he has secured Betty White, who played Rose Nylund, to attend the restaurant’s grand opening. She’s the only living member of the cast, surviving McClanahan, Estelle Getty who played Sophia Petrillo and Bea Arthur who played Dorothy Zbornak.  Related: My favourite TV show: The Golden Girls  The menu will feature soups, wraps, salads, wine and the Golden Girl’s favorite dessert, cheesecake. LaRue told a community board hearing that he hoped to open a sidewalk eating area by next year. No word yet on whether or not it will be called the Lanai.  The biggest challenge will be luring visitors and tourists up to Washington Heights, which is far off the beaten path for many New Yorkers and certainly for visitors who frequently spend most of their time in Midtown near the Broadway theaters or far downtown closer to the Statue of Liberty and other attractions. “I believe I can turn this place into a mini-tourist [hub] in Washington Heights,” LaRue, who lives in the neighborhood, told DNA Info, adding that the show is in syndication in 50 countries around the world and has a significant fanbase.  LaRue also claims that Disney, which owns the Golden Girls franchise through its Touchstone Television arm, has given him permission to make memorabilia with the casts’ likeness on it because they love the project so much. What diehard Golden Girls fan wouldn’t want to walk away with a “Picture it: Manahattan 2016” shirt with Sophia’s face on it?
The legendary 80s sitcom gets the cafe it deserves, including memorabilia, live music and, of course, cheesecake – plus Betty White at the grand opening