It's no nonsense.
New Yorkers will get their first taste of the Rainforest Café when the classic themed restaurant opens its doors on the 86th floor of the Empire State Building the first week of October.
The squawk-worthy news comes after the Big Apple opening of the beloved conservation-focused restaurant chain (a staple of upmarket malls in the late 1990s and early 2000s) was mocked by ESB management in what was quickly revealed to be an April Fools' Day prank earlier this year.
At the moment, The Empire State Building's X account was expressionless that the “world’s tallest Rainforest Cafe” would be installed in the iconic skyscraper.
The harmless prank apparently caused quite a stir on the Internet, with nostalgic fans calling for the joke to become a reality.
“Following massive interest and rapid reactions from fans online, we are excited to announce a limited-time pop-up shop featuring Rainforest Cafe on the iconic 86th Floor Observatory,” the Empire State Building said in a written statement.
The four-day event will run from Thursday, October 3-6, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online and “access to limited-edition Rainforest Cafe x ESB merchandise and special food offerings” is promised. No further details were immediately available.
Queens native and Rainforest Cafe creator Steven Schussler opened his first dream restaurant (which quickly became famous for its animatronic apes, elephants, bright blue fish tanks, thunderclaps, animal stampedes, working waterfalls, and more natural, misty landscapes) in 1994 at the Mall of America near Minneapolis.
While living in a Twin Cities suburb, Schussler, who got his start serving hot chocolate at Shea Stadium, tested his concept by building a $400,000 simulated rainforest in his own home, complete with a real waterfall, 40 real tropical birds, two heavy tortoises, iguanas and a baboon that had free rein in the house. According to The Hustle.
Schussler's electric bill, which exceeded $2,000 a month, was high enough to attract the attention of the DEA, which suspected he was operating a marijuana grow lab at the time.
“I put everything into building the rainforest,” the former owner, who sold his property to Landry’s in 2000 after massive losses of $100 million, told the outlet. “I went overboard.”
The lush chain has suffered considerable deforestation in recent years (there are currently 23 locations open). The brand is owned by Landry's, which also operates Morton's Steak House, Bubba Gump Shrimp and Joe's Crab Shack, among others.
Lately, nostalgic and new fans alike are rallying to save Rainforest Café, as the brand, led by its adorable mascot, a red-eyed tree frog named Cha! Cha!, has amassed nearly 83,000 followers on Instagram.
Two full-service locations remain open in the Tri-State, after significant closures in the region over the years.
A location in the Menlo Park mall got the thumbs up in the Kevin James' 2009 comedy “Paul Blart: Mall Cop” —while a Rainforest Café in Atlantic City continues to draw plenty of foot traffic from the busy boardwalk.
