Luke’s Diner Came to Atlanta and ‘Gilmore Girls’ Fans Went Nuts

Lines were way out the door

by Chris Fuhrmeister@ccfuhr Oct 5, 2016, 12:02pm EDT

The line to get into the Luke's Diner pop-up at JavaVino.

With four brand-new episodes of beloved early-2000s series Gilmore Girls coming in November, the folks at Netflix decided to build anticipation with Luke’s Diner pop-ups across the country. Approximately 200 coffeeshops in North America were transformed into Luke’s on Wednesday, offering free coffee and a little Gilmore swag from 7 a.m. until noon.

That was the plan anyway.

Four Atlanta cafes got in on the action: Corso Coffee in Buckhead, Land of a Thousand Hills in Atlantic Station and Cumming, and JavaVino in Poncey-Highland. As with pop-ups in other cities, each location saw massive lines, and at JavaVino, the queue stretched for nearly two hours. The free coffee — 250 12 ounce cups, on Netflix — was gone by 9 a.m., but the cafe continued to offer discounts for patient Gilmore fanatics. By 9:40, JavaVino had exhausted its supply of 500 Luke’s-branded to-go sleeves. Still, people stayed in line to get a glimpse inside.

There was no drastic overhaul for the pop-up, which coincided with the 16th anniversary of the Gilmore Girls pilot airing on The WB, but JavaVino did add some nice touches for those seeking an authentic Luke’s experience. There was a sign banning the use of cell phones (essential), and quotes from Lorelai were posted around the shop. At the counter, Mallomars were on sale for $1 a piece. Three tip jars allowed patrons to declare whether they’re #TeamDean, #TeamJess, or #TeamLogan. And, of course, baristas were sporting plaid shirts and backwards baseball caps. All in all, it felt like a little taste of Stars Hollow.

Couldn’t spend two hours on a work day waiting in line for coffee? Scope what went down at ~~JavaVino~~ Luke’s via the photos below.