Authorities advise against travel as blizzard warnings continue.

MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all. 

Turn Up Your Support

On Wednesday, fans of "Gilmore Girls" will be able to chug nostalgia by the cup.


To build buzz for the four-episode revival of the beloved show coming out in November, Netflix partnered with 200 coffee shops around the country to rebrand themselves as outposts of Luke's Diner for a day.


On the show, Luke's Diner was the stomping ground of Lorelai Gilmore and her daughter, Rory, as well as the other quirky residents of the fictional town of Stars Hollow, Conn. For seven seasons, Lorelai and Rory sat at the counter, downing coffee and recounting their romantic woes. (Maybe all that caffeine was the reason behind the show's lightning-fast dialogue?)


For the participating coffee shops, the transformation means putting the staff in Luke's aprons and baseball hats — worn backwards, of course — and giving out free cups of coffee, while supplies last.


In Minnesota, two shops are making the transformation into Luke's Diner: Swede Hollow Cafe and Dogwood Coffee Bar's St. Paul location.


Jessica Shearer, the manager at Dogwood, said her staff is going beyond just the aprons: They'll be wearing flannel shirts (Luke's trademark style) and putting on a playlist of "Gilmore Girls"-related music.


"I grew up on the show," Shearer said, and any opportunity to "geek out" on it is welcome.

Ruth Campbell, the owner of Swede Hollow, had never watched "Gilmore Girls" before she was approached for the promotion.

"I'm not really a person who watches a lot of TV," she said. But she looked up the original series and was hooked. "I'm a new watcher."


So for diehard fans who have always wanted to pull up a seat at Luke's, Wednesday is your chance. Otherwise, you'll have to wait until Nov. 25 for the new episodes to land.

Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life | Date Announcement | Netflix

Arts and Culture

Tracy Mumford

Author

Netflix punches the nostalgia button by turning coffee shops around the country into outposts of Luke's Diner for the day. Two St. Paul spots are participating in the 'Gilmore Girls' promotion.

'Gilmore Girls' fans, here's your chance to grab coffee at Luke's

Go Deeper.

Like this?

News you can use in your inbox