Phil Colicchio is co-founder of Central Perk Coffee Company and head of Colicchio Consulting. Phil shares the origin story of how a pitch meeting at Warner Bros. about a sandwich concept unexpectedly led to a license for the globally iconic Central Perk brand from the hit TV show Friends. He discusses the challenges of raising capital without owning the intellectual property, the decision to test the concept in Boston before opening in Times Square, and lessons learned from early operational mistakes. He also covers the company's growth plans, its hub-and-spoke expansion strategy, and why quality and hospitality remain at the core of the brand.

James Cook is the Director of Retail Research in the Americas for JLL.

This interview was recorded at Entertainment Experience Evolution 2026, a conference by InterFace Conference Group, which is a division of France Media Inc.

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